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*'®ntbe rug in trout 
of one of tbe low 
boobcases stoob 
5oc^ with bi 0 pet/' 





TKe Christmas Cat 



By ^ 

ANNA BURNHAM BRYANT 

M 


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i:dith drowning brand 



Boston Ube pilgrim press Chicago 





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DOROTHY 

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CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Black Silk Bag and What was 

IN It 1 

II. Kitty’s Voyage in the Cellar ... 17 

III. How WiNKY helped IN THE DOLLS’ 

Dressmaking 31 

IV. An Easter Offering 49 

V. A Cat to Lend 65 

VI. “Polly Plummer, She ” — .... 81 

VII. Doctor Winky 97 

VUI. A Beautiful Birthday 117 

IX. A “Children’s Visitor” ..... 139 

X. An Interruption 161 

XI. Better than Money 175 

XII. The Europe Lady 189 





THE BLACH SILH BAG 
AND 


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WHAT WAS IN IT 




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TKe CKristmas Cat 


CHAPTER I 



The Black Silk Bag: What was in It 

SOE it ! I sor it ! It 's all 
done but the puckering- 
string! Now what do you 
suppose she ’ll put in 
it?” 

Polly had been ‘^peek- 
ing.” If Grandma Plummer had caught 
a ghmpse of that little blue eye at the 
keyhole, there never would have been any- . 
thing at all in the little black silk bag, J 
nor any puckering-string to draw it up 
by, — that is, if she had kept her prom- 
ises. She hated peeking. 

Last time it was pop-corn — pink 
sugar — and it lasted till the train got 
1 



The Christmas Cat 


THE 
BLACK 
SILK BAG 



clear home/' said Wally, sucking a sugar 
^^mint” that grandma had given him. 
^^And time before that it was shellbarks. 
She won’t ever tell us, but you can feely 
you know, and kind of scrunch the bag 
up in your hands, and guess what ’s in it.” 

You ’ll do pretty well, my dear young 
friend, not to ^ scrunch ’ this one ! ” re- 
marked Cousin Jack, passing through the 
room on his way to the woodshed. I 
guess there ’d be a yowling ! ” 

0 Cousin Jack ! loould it hurt? ” cried 
both the children at once, catching him by 
the jacket-flaps to hold him. Is it prick- 
ery things? Do you truly know any- 
thing?” 

^^Lots,” said Jack, squirming to get 
away, and shaking himself loose at last 
from their clinging fingers. ‘^And it ’s 
aiofal prickery. My! won’t you be sorry 
grandmother did n’t keep her old bag at 
home this year ! ” 


2 


The Christmas Cat 


Every year at Christmas time the two 
children made grandma a long visit. 
Mother always came with them, and some- 
times she stayed all the time, and some- 
times it was only a day or two ; and then 
she came again to take them home. 
Father could not often spare her all 
through the Christmas holidays. 

But this time she was not going to be 
able to come at all, so she had written that 
the children were to be put in charge of a 
conductor, and take the long hundred-mile 
journey all alone. It was a thing to be 
prayed over, but not worried over; so 
when mamma had decided that there was 
really no other way to do, she wrote a 
cheerful letter telling them what train they 
were to take, and when she would meet 
them, and filled up the rest of the letter 
with love and kisses. 

She never said once to be careful ! ’’ 
said Wally, wonderingly. 

3 


AND 

WHAT 

WAS 



The Christmas Cat 


THE 
BLACK 
SILK BAG 


Nor she did n’t say we must be good/’ 
added Polly, who, of the two, was the least 
likely to need that warning. 

They both scanned the letter carefully, 
but not a word of warning or worry ! 

“ For all that, she must have meant it,” 
said Wally, sweetly, pushing a little sticky 
face up close to Polly’s. ^^And we will, 
won’t we, Polly?” 

Polly did n’t say whether she would or 
she would n’t. She did n’t like to promise 
too much beforehand. The door opened 
and in walked grandma. 

No, dears,” she said, decidedly, as the 
children swarmed all over her, trying to 
look into the bag, “ no candy this time. 
You ’ve done nothing but eat candy for the 
last fortnight, and I won’t risk a fit of 
sickness for you by giving you any more 
of it. But there ’ll be something in the bag 
— I have never let you go home yet with- 
out giving you a bagful of something.” 

4 


The Christmas Cat 


And it will be something good to eat ! ” 
begged Wally. Say it will, for you get 
so tarrible hungry on car-trains, and kind AND 
of — homesick in your stomach. Do n’t 
you know, grandma?” jjvj 

Yes, I know ! ” she laughed, going to IT 
the pantry and fetching out a big plate of 
scalloped cookies and hole-y doughnuts. 

She had a very good memory, and knew 
just about how often that kind of home- 
sickness” needed the doctor, and exactly 
what pills and powders were good for it. 

^^No, I don’t believe I would try to eat 
what you ’ll find in the bag this time. It 
might not agree with you.” 

Train for Ware — North Ware, South 
Ware, East Ware, everywhere ! ” cried 
Uncle John, cheerily, cracking his ox-whip 
as he came in at the door like a big six- 
foot snowdrift with a round, red face set 
a-top that looked very jolly and Santa 
Claus-y in its fringe of icicle-whiskers. 

5 


The Christmas Cat 



‘^Anybody that goes out to-day must be 
bundled up in a featherbed. It ’s middlin' 
THE cold weather, marm, and breezy." 
S IL K^B^ Now, John, it 's too cold to take such 
little creeturs out in ! " said grandma. 

You just let me take their things right 
off, and I ’ll sit down and write ’Tildy just 
how it was. She ’s their mother, and she 
would n’t want I should send ’em home 
frozen stiff, and having the snuffles, any 
more than anything. Polly, child, you ’’ — 
No, you won’t write anything nor take 
off anything, either,’’ said Uncle John, good- 
naturedly. You do n’t expect April 
weather in the midst of January. They 
do n’t mind a little wind blowing. Bless 
your heart, I ’ve carried barrels and barrels 
o’ turnips and squashes and potatoes to 
market, right out the cellar, any amount 
worse weather than this is. ’T won’t hurt 
’em a mite — not a mite ; but fix ’em warm 
for a pung-ride.’’ 


6 


The Christmas Cat 


Who 's talking about vegetables ? ” re- 
torted grandma. Did n’t know ’s you 
classed your nephews and nieces in with 
garden-sass ! ” 

This made Uncle John laugh. He al- 
ways liked to have the little old lady an- 
swer him up spunky/’ as he called it. 

Not half so ^ sassy ’ as their grand- 
mother/’ he called back over his shoulder, 
as he started out to look after his team 
while the passengers were getting ready. 
‘^And a barrel o’ girls won’t freeze any 
sooner than a barrel o’ turnips.” 

What ’s that crazy boy got in his head 
now ! ” murmured grandma, tying Wally’s 
red yarn muffler tighter than was comfort- 
able, and bringing out a piece of an old 
log-cabin quilt to wrap round Polly’s feet 
in the ^^pung,” and lastly pulling over 
Polly’s rosy little face an immense green 
pumpkin” hood as big as a coal-scuttle. 
Polly laughed and laughed, but her voice 


7 




AND 

WHAT 

WAS 

IN 

IT 



The Christmas Cat 


THE 
BLACK 
SILK BAG 



sounded as if it were laughing in a well, 
and she could n ’t see any way but straight 
ahead of her, or hear a word unless you 
stood exactly in front of her. Grandma was 
so busy tucking and tying and patting and 
poking her that she never thought to look 
out of the window, or she might have won- 
dered more than ever at the doings of that 
boy,” as she was fond of calling her forty- 
year-old son when he would n’t listen to her. 

But Wally had got fixed ” at last and 
gone to the window, and he gave such a 
shout that even Polly heard, ’way back in 
her hood, and called to know what it was. 

Is that what we ’re going to ride in? ” 
said Wally, pointing with his finger at a 
sort of low, square-sided box set on runners 
and filled with barrels. They were set 
snugly side by side so that there was no 
room for any of them to tip over or jog- 
gle ” much, and all the spaces and cracks 
between were filled and stuffed in with hay. 

8 


The Christmas Cat 


‘‘I s’pose he thinks the oxes will want 

some when he gets there/’ said Polly, who 

had come to Wally’s side, ^^but ’course the AND 

barrels will be tooken out and make some WHAT 

WAS 

room for us to sit in it first. That ’s the 
way we always do,” she added, for she had jx 
had ox-rides before and knew how soft and 
warm hay is to nestle in. 

“ No, he won’t,” said Cousin Jack, join- 
ing them, and beginning to pick up their 
bags and bundles. These were all to be 
tied together and packed away in the bag- 
gage car, all except one, the little black 
silk bag which grandma kept ready to put 
into Polly’s hand at the very last possible 
minute, with all the warnings to be good'” V 
and never be careless or bad that mamma^!;^^ 
had left out of her letter. No, he won’t,*^!' 
and you ’ll find out the reason why, my^^ 
lady, in a minute, when I get you out there \ 

— pickaback — and drop you into the top^ 
of one of those tall barrels, right into a 
9 


The Christmas Cat 


THE 
BLACK 
SILK BAG 



soft, warm nest of hay where you can curl 
up and go to sleep and be as warm as the 
pussy-cat here in the basket.’’ 

You do n’t mean it ! ” cried grandma, 
lifting up both her hands. 

Sure as preaching ! ” answered Cousin 
Jack, picking up the first child that came 
handy and running clumsily out through 
the snow-drift to do as he said he would, 
then running back for the other. 

Is n’t that nice ? ” asked Uncle John, 
coming to look over the edge of the barrel, 
while Polly looked up out of her hood to 
see the big red face with its icicle-whiskers. 

Is n’t it warm ? Can you feel the wind 
any ? That ’s right — curl right down like 
a little kitten and snooze it out. I declare, 
I’m just proud o’ myself for thinking o’ 
such a cute, comfortable way to cariy ye ! 
An’ the boy here, he ’s as well off as you 
are. And now — what ’s that, marm ? — a 
bag for Polly ? Oh, yes, I see ! Here you 
10 


The Christmas Cat 


are, little one ; big bag, little bag, bandbox 
and bundle. Come up, Starbrigbt! Wh’ 
liish, Spot, you rascal ! Gee, there ! Gee, AND 
I tell ye ! Wh’ hish ! ’’ WHAT 

Down in the warm, safe barrel, Polly 
listened with delight to the queer oxen- 
language,” as she called her uncle’s remarks 
to his slow, sure-footed team. She felt the 
zigzag, swaying course of the creaking run- 
ners, and wished she were only tall enough 
to stand up* in her barrel and see what a 
wonderful white world she was going 
through. She knew just how the wide 
cedar branches, heavy with snow, reached 
out over the road on each side as they 
passed; she guessed how the httle striped 
squirrels were running up and down the 
tree-trunks, and most likely there were 
partridges — she had seen some once when 
they were out looking for a Christmas tree 
to cut. She did not know how the wind 
was blowing out there, or how cold Uncle 



The Christmas Cat 


John’s toes and fingers were, or how nipped 
and red his nose was. She could not even 
THE hear him thrashing his arms to keep warm, 


BLACK 
SILK BAG 


for you remember that besides being in a 


barrel, she had on a pumpkin hood. 

Pretty soon she began to wonder about 
that little bag in her lap, almost buried up 
in the buffalo robe that had been the last 
thing tucked round her. It was something 
very warm, that was sure. Perhaps it was 
a cake wrapped up in newspaper, or hot 
doughnuts. They were nice for the hands, 
and you could eat them afterwards. But 
it didn’t feel hke cake or doughnuts; and 
besides, grandma had advised her not to 
eat it. What could it be ? Even through 
her thick red mittens she could feel some- 
thing soft and squirmy — something that 
was not round like doughnuts or long like 
a loaf of cake, or any shape that you could 
really call a shape. It was — something — 
alive ! What was it ? 


12 



The Christmas Cat 

All at once she gave a little scream. 

This cake or doughnut, or whatever it was, 
had pins in it, and they stuck into her AND WHAT 
fingers right through her mittens, when WAS IN IT 
she put her hand into the bag to try to 
find out what in the world she had there. 

^^What is it, Polly?” cried Wally from 
his barrel. He had n’t any hood over his 
ears, and he had pushed ofi the muffler. 

It ’s a cat ! ” squealed Polly, not hear- 
ing a word. do believe it is a cat. 

There is n’t any other kind of a thing that 
can say Me-ow ! And there is n’t anything 
else that has pins in its claws. Oh, come 
out here — just a little bit of a way out, so 
I can see if you are a cat, and what you 
look like ! Oh, are n’t you just dear ! ” 
she cried, catching a glimpse of two httle 
white, pink-lined ears and two round, dark- 
blue eyes and a moist little pink nose with 
a funny three-cornered mouth just under 
it. That was all she dared to look in to 



THE 
BLACK 
SILK BAG 


The Christmas Cat 

see, but that was enough. It certainly was 
a cat! 

Do any of you little girls (or boys, either) 
remember the first time you ever had a 
little live pet of your own to love and 
care for — something that needed you, that 
you must not forget to feed, that you 
must learn how to be good to, that could 
look in your eyes and answer back when 
you are kind and loving to it ? It is the 
sweet, tender, mo^Aer-feeling that makes 
you love it so, and I would not give much 
for a boy or girl who has never felt it. 
When Polly saw the gleam of those two 
little bright eyes at the bag’s mouth, her 
heart gave a great leap of joy, for never 
before in her whole long nine-year-old hfe 
had she owned a kitty. She forgot to 
wonder any more about the squirrels or 
the partridges; she gave up trying to 
stretch her head up to see the snowy cedar- 
branches as they overarched the slow- 
14 


The Christmas Cat 


moving team and shook a merry sprinkle 
down now and then into the open tops of 
the barrels. She just hugged her httle AND 
black bag with the white kitty in it, and WHAT 
talked loving mother-words to it all the 
rest of the way to the station. IT 

When at last they stopped, Uncle John 
came and looked into the top of the barrels 
again ; but nobody looked up at him, for 
they were all three fast asleep — Wally 
and Polly and the little white cat. 



15 




niTTY S VOYAGE IN THE CELLAR 



CHAPTER II 


Kitty^s Voyage in the Cellar 

ATS have to be ^ wonted/ 
first thing yon have to do 
with ’em,” said good-na- 
tured, red-armed Mandy, 
dropping her work in the 
ile to go and set down a 
saucer of milk for the new kitty. That 
long story you ’re telling can wait a min- 
ute, but the cat can’t. I ’ve heard people 
say you ought to butter their feet once 
or twice and then they never ’ll think o’ 
straying off anywheres, but I guess feed- 
ing will do without that, and butter ’s high 
this winter, your ma says.” 

17 



The Christmas Cat 


Wally, who was a bit of a telltale, ran 
off to his mother to tell her how Mandy was 
KITTY'S going to butter the cat and said she ought 
VOYAGE iohe slia' ted ; but mother only laughed at 
him and sent him back to the kitchen where 
Polly and Mandy were still making a busi- 
ness of seeing the cat eat. Polly was also 
telling the rest of the story about the bar- 
rel-ride and their trip on the cars with 
both their tickets stuck in the conductor’s 
hatband, so that he had to take off his 
hat respectfully every time he punched 
their tickets. He always forgot and said. 
Tickets, please ! ” in that sharp, dicky 
way conductors have, and then he had to 
laugh because the children laughed to see 
him saying please ” to himself. He in- 
sisted that the cat ought to have a ticket, 
too, and finally gave them one for her, 
on trust,” as he said, and saw that it was 
duly punched at every station. 

I am writing all this in the way Polly 
18 


The Christmas Cat 


told it. She had talked to everybody every 
minute since her father had met them at 
the station. He was glad to get them 
back again and never heard a word the 
children said, first, last or middle ; but 
other people were beginning to wish they 
would stop long enough to breathe or eat 
their supper or something. Mother had 
already begun to throw out little mild 
hints, such as asking Polly why it was that 
people were born with two ears and only 
one mouth. But Polly was n’t good at tak- 
ing hints. She said that she did n’t know, 
unless it was so that things could go in at 
one ear and out at the other, using one of 
grandma’s funny phrases that had happened 
to stick in her memory. Father laughed and 
said, That disposes of you^ mother ! It ’s 
the principle I act on,” and after that they 
let the child alone. 

Let her talk it out,” he advised, 
kindly. She never can go to bed and 
19 


BSr THE 
CELLAR 


The Christmas Cat 

to sleep with all that bubbling up inside 



of her/’ 


KITTY^S The next day was rainy, and the next 


VOYAGE next. Polly had plenty of time to 


get used to having a cat, or, as Mandy 
said, to let the new wear off.” After a 
while she began to go back to her dolls a 
little, and her new plaything had a little 
chance to sleep and grow, which it cer- 
tainly had n’t when Polly was around pet- 
ting it. 

Is n’t it just cute ? ” cried Polly, dan- 
ghng a soft ball by a string so that the furry 
white paws could catch it. I ’dare, baby 



cat, you have truly 
got to have a name. 
I ’m tired of saying 


^it’ to you.” 

- ^^Well, I 
should say 
’t was about 
time myself, if 


BraijiL 


The Christmas Cat 


you was ever going to have any,” said 
Mandy. knew a man once that his 
folks would n’t name him, because they iisf THE 
could n’t quite settle on any name that CELLAR 
was good enough, and so they said they 
would let him get old enough to name 
himself, and then there would be one 
pleased, anyway. But he was n’t, for 
when he got that old, everybody had kind 
of taken to calling him ^Bub,’ and they 
never dropped it to the day of his death. 

^ Bub ’ Long he lived and died, and that 
was when he was about eighty.” 

I might call him Winky,” said Polly, 
thoughtfully, more or less • troubled by 
Mandy’ s story. He winks so, whatever 
you say to him, instead ofv talking. I 
should n’t like my cat to grow up to be 
eighty, and not any name to him.” 

Winky is a good name,” said Mandy. 

Easy to say, and that ’s the main thing.” 

It ’s Winky, then,” said Polly, and 
21 



t ^ 


The Christmas Cat 


KITTY'S 

VOYAGE 



Winky it was till he got his doctor’s 
degree, — but that belongs in another 
chapter. 

It rained, and it rained, and it rained. 
The no-school bell rang almost every day 
that week, for the streets were rivers, and 
even the street-cars were stopped every now 
and then by gullying washouts.” The 
fathers and mothers said that it was n’t 
fit for any child to go to school. For 
all that, four or five da3"s of steady down- 
pour made them feel that a little outdoor 
air w^ould be good for their darlings, and 
many a happy boy and even a few girls 
could be seen along the streaming gutters, 
floating chip-fleets or making dams against 
the swift brown current. 

You ’re looking after your kitty, of 
course, Polly?” said mother, looking up 
from her sewing one long, dreary afternoon, 
and Polly mumbled something by way of 
answer that mother took for Yes ’m,” and 



The Christmas Cat 


so went on with her work satisfied. If 
Polly’s mouth had n’t been so full of pins 
and strings and other conveniences for ipq- 
doll’s dressmaking, her mother would have CE, 
understood what she did say, which was 
that she guessed the little scamp was all 
safe enough around the house somewhere. 
That happened to be true, but not their 
house, and no thanks to Polly’s oversight. 

Tell Mandy to ring the bell for Wally 
to come in now,” said mother at last, as it 
began to grow near night. ^^He must get 
on dry clothes and get good and warm 
before bedtime.” 

Mandy brought his little low chair and 
set it in front of the grate, and then mother 
had him stay and toast himself till he 
began seriously to question whether ’t were 
better for a boy to suffer as much as this 
for the fun of playing out in the rain for 
half an hour. 

Lemrne have your little kitty, Polly ? ” 

23 


The Christmas Cat 


he whined, at last, tired of sitting there 



doing nothing, for mamma would n’t even 


KITTY'S read, with that blaze in his eyes. 

VOYAGE All right,” said Polly, obligingly, going 


to fetch her pet. 

They heard her calling him in various 
tones of entreaty all over the house. 

Kitty, kitty ! Winky, Winky ! Kitty- 
winky-winky-winky ! Why, I can’t find 
my kitty anywhere ! Who ’s seen Winky ? 
Oh, I did n’t butter his feet, and now I ’ve 
lost him ! Oh, who ’s seen my kitty ? ” 
Polly’s wails soon brought the family to 
the rescue, and everybody began asking 
questions and nobody answering them, till 
by and by somebody happened to hear 
Wally say, drawlingly, Maybe ’t was your 
cat we was a-poking ! ” 

Polly turned on him fiercely, and mother 
with surprised reproach, but he was look- 
ing down at his stocking-feet, and seemed 
to be thinking deeply. 


24 


The Christmas Cat 


We was n’t hurting any cat ! ” he said, 
indignantly, shaking off Polly’s strong 
young fingers which were fairly clawing 
his arm and shoulder in her anxiety to get 
the truth out of him, — only just having 
some fun with ’em, cause cats do n’t like to 
get their feet wet, and it ’s fun to set ’em 
sailin’. It was getting dark out there, and 
we could n’t see ’t was your cat or whose 
’twas. ’Twas lots o’ fun, till all at once 
it scooted — right through a suller winder, 
I guess, ’cause we heard some glass go 
smash.” 

You cruel, cruel boy ! ” said mamma 
in a low, grieved voice, with a look in her 
soft brown eyes that was worse than whip- 
pings. 

As for Polly, she was too angry to 
speak, too sorrowful to cry, and too be- 
wildered to think of any way to help 
matters. Mandy, however, had her wits 
about her, and snatching up her hood and 


IN THE 
CELLAR 


The Christmas Cat 


waterproof, she ran quickly around the 
neighborhood asking everywhere if any- 
KITTY'S body had seen our kitty,” and would they 
VOYAGE look in the cellar, please, for maybe it 
might have gone in there. 

You may come look in my cellar and 
wade in it, if you want to,” said Mrs. 
McGillis, hospitably. The water has 
come in that deep, you could use it for a 
cistern. There ’s no cat here, and unless 
they get hungry for water, it ’s the last 
place they T1 be coming to.” 

It was the same story all through the 
street. Mrs. Allison, in the big white 
house opposite, felt very sorry and offered 
to take a light and go hunting through the 
premises. 

Little kittens often stray away, I 
know,” she said, gently, and I should be 
so sorry for little Polly Plummer to lose 
her pet. Kitty, kitty, kitty ! Do you 
think she would know your voice any 
26 


The Christmas Cat 


better? Try. No, it is hardly worth 
while to look down there,” she said, half 
opening the cellar door as they passed, pvj THE 
^^The water has been steadily rising all CELLAR 
day, until it has put the furnace fire out. 

Mr. Allison said this morning that it was 
nearly up to the lower dampers, and every- 
thing is afloat down there. He is out now 
trying to arrange some outlet, I believe. 
Meanwhile, we are huddling around the 
grates and fireplaces. No, there is no 
chance to find your — hark ! what ’s that ? 

Did you hear anything ? ” 

Mew ! me-ow ! me-ow-ow ! ” came piti- 
fully and clearly up the dark stairway. 

There ’s something alive down there ! ” 
said Mandy, gathering up her skirts and 
going down a stair or two. Me-ow ! 
me-ow!'' came the frightened *cry, con- 
tinually. 

I ’m a-going down there,” said Mandy, 
feeling her way cautiously. If ’t is n't 




The Christmas Cat 


our cat, it ’s some cat, and I ain’t one to let 
a fellow creetur suffer. Hold that light 
KITTY'S lower, Mis’ Allison, and I guess 

VOYAGE — ow ! that water ’s cold ! ” 

Mandy had stepped one stair too low, 
and splashed into the icy water, but try as 
she would, she could not fix the direction 
of that babyish crying which never stopped 
for one instant but grew louder and more 
appealing as there seemed to be a chance 
of rescue. It seemed to come from every- 
where, the water and the walls giving back 
queer, misleading echoes. 

Most likely it ’s on some window-ledge 
or other,” said Mandy, and I ’ve got to 
get to it. Oh, pshaw, you need n’t mind 
me wading. I ’m five foot three, and this 
water’s consider’ble less than half that. 
I ’ll go feel round the inside sills there, if 
you ’ll try to tip that fight a little more to 
the left side for me — OTT.^ ” 

The last word was from Mandy, and not 
28 



The Christmas Cat 


the cat, though you might think differently. 
As she was about to put one venturous foot 
in unknown waters, an overturned butter- 
keg went floating by, and kitty, glad to for- 
sake so small a raft, took one flying leap 
from it to Mandy’s shoulder. A cat’s eyes 
could see where Mandy’s could n’t, and 
thanks to that fact, the girl was spared a 
rather disagreeable exploring tour around 
the cellar. By some wonderful good luck, 
that first frightened leap through the win- 
dow had landed him on some one of the 
many floating boxes and tubs and barrels 
which were bobbing around in the water, 
and his first voyage had not quite ended 
in shipwreck. 

Mandy hugged the poor, frightened little 
thing close to her breast, as she stumbled 
up-stairs and hurried over home to calm 
the fears of its more frightened family. 
Wally was forgiven — with conditions. 
The little mean streak in him that had led 
29 




The Christmas Cat 



KITTY^S 

VOYAGE 


him to find fun in any creature’s unhappi- 
ness was more than his mother would 
stand, and she gave him to understand 
it plainly. 

And Winky — happy Winky ! — he cud- 
dled down in his safe, cosy basket, and 
curled himself into a fluffy ball of content, 
purring as if he were trying to purr down 
the noises of the storm which still rattled 
at the windows. 



30 


HOW WINRY HELPED IN THE 


DOLLS* 


DRESSMAKING 



f , 


• « 




f 

• Jt 


* 


1 


V i- 




! 


< 


< 

• * 

*• V i 


f*' -<\-#-j 


^ i' ‘ 


■* • 


• i 


r . 


.r^ >\ 


> ' 


1 


i 






/♦' 


CHAPTER III 


How Winky Helped in the Dolls^ Dressmakingf 


WINKY! 

It was as much as the 
thirteenth time that Polly 
had made that httle re- 
mark. This time she 
caught the little rascal by 
what she called the nack of his neck/’ 
and ran to the window as if she were 
going to let him find out the soft feel of 
a snowbank. Then she repented, and be- 
gan to give him what she called a talk- 
ing-to.” This is the Avay it sounded : — 
You dear little mizzable thing , you ! 
You bad, naughty kitty-boy ! Can’t you 
see your mother trying to make dolly- 
clothes for her whole great big raggedy 
31 






The Christmas Cat 


HOW 
^ WINKY 

4‘;jhelped 



fam’ly, and here you are plaguing and 
bothering and sticking your nose, and your 
toes, and your paws, and your claws, into 
every single thing you should n’t ought 
to!” 

Winky only rolled over on his back, 
and took Polly’s best celluloid doll in his 
four fluffy paws and tried to bite the head 
off. That was the last straw. Polly 
and Susie, and even tender-hearted httle 
Dorothy, all declared that they could not 
carry on a Dolls’ Dressmaking Establish- 
ment with such a four-footed hinderer 
about, so they opened the door and shut 
him out in the hall, where for a time 
he mewed and whined pitifully to get 
back into the dining-room with its beau- 
tiful long table strewn with lovely bright- 
colored rags and other things to make a 
cat happy. No use. The girls were hard 
of heart. Not a step should he come 
again inside that door. 

32 


The Christmas Cat 


You notice that Polly was having com- 
pany. That means that they were all in 
the big dining-room with a big notice 
pasted up on the door to let everybody 
know that here was the place to come 
for your fashionable dressmaking. Susie 
was older than the other girls, so she was 
the cutter and fitter; little Dorothy was 
the ’p^^ntice-girl, and they made her pick 
up all the rags and pull out basting- 
threads. As for Polly, she was the “ New 
York buyer” for the house,” and the 
trips she made to the attic, and the bar- 
gains she made with her mother and 
Mandy in respect to the best parts of old 
clothes and unused pieces of new ones, 
would be worth telling about if I were 
not in such a hurry to get at Winky’s 
part of this chapter* 

It ’s time we begun on our summer 
work,” said Polly, with a sudden dissatis- 
fied look at the piles of bright flannels 
33 



DOLLS'/-''^ 



The Christmas Cat 

and cashmeres that had been the fruit 
of her last excursion. 

jfOW Yes,” said Dorothy, who was the 
^ WINKY littlest and liked big words. “ I think 
^[^^ELPED es4remely behind-our-hand with the 

work vis season.” 

It ’s shif’less,” said Polly, who took a 
good many of her phrases from Mandy, 
just shif’less, not to get ahead and keep 
ahead, and I ’m going to bundle all these 
things into the rag-bag, and hunt around 
to see if I can’t find some muslins and 
laces more suitahler to hot weather. Here 
’t is most the first day of March, and next 
month is April, and then comes May and 
June — half the summer gone and nothing 
done yet ! ” 

“Ask your mother,” said Susie, who 
had very little idea of any difficulty that 
Polly’s mother could not help her out of. 

Polly started for her mother’s room, 
which was at the head of the stairs, but 



The Christmas Cat 


drew her head back with a jerk, and such 
a quick red flush on her little round face 
that the girls both dropped their work, 
and cried out, What is it?” 

I d’ know ! ” said Polly, still with 
that red, frightened look on her face. 
— think it ’s a ’mittee-meeting ! ” 

‘‘ Out in the hall? ” cried Susie. 

There is n’t anything but stairs to sit 
on,” said Dorothy. ‘‘ They must look 
funny ! ” 

It ’s their hats,” half-whispered Polly, 
— “their tall hats, you know, like what 
your papa wears Sundays. There ’s a 
whole row of ’em, and they ’re aU piled 
up on the table under the hat-rack. Of 
course there ’s some men to ’em, but prob’ly 
most likely they ’ve all gone into papa’s 
study to have a ’scussion. But I don’t 
dast to go out there.” 

“ Ho, fraid-cat ! ” said Dotty. “ I just 
as lief as wink my eye. Only ’t is n’t any 
35 



DOLLS''-"^ 
DRESS^ 
MAKING 


ng\ ✓ 


vV 




The Christmas Cat 


use of me going. It ’s you that ’s going to 
ask your mother. Can’t you go up the 
HOW hack stairs or something?” 

WINKY s’pose so/’ said Polly, doubtfully, ^^only 
Mandy is mopping her floor, and it makes 
her mad as a hop to have you go track- 
ing over it. I ’ll go the front entiy way if 
I can get my courage up.” 

Poh ! jus’ as if a lot of ministers would 
hurt you if they did see you. You ’re so 
passionately afraid of everything, Polly 
Plummer. For a minister’s daughter, I 
must say you have n’t got very much 
sand.” 

Why, Dotty Ferguson 1 ” cried Polly, in 
open-eyed amazement. ^^You have got a 
new word ! Why, it ’s an awful bad word. 
Dotty ! I ’ve — why, I ’ve heard boys use 
it.” 

So ’ve I,” said Dotty, calmly. Maybe 
it ’s a more better word for boys ’an it is for 
girls, but it means just the same no matter 
36 


|HELPED 



The Christmas Cat 


who. My brother Bob says it, and he says 
it means it ’s something you 're a coward if 
you haven’t got. If I was you, Polly, I lpj\}THE 
should go and do what I had to do, if there DOLLSyj\ 
xoas a minister or two in the way. 

A minister or two ! 



I ’ll give you half 
this pink pep’mint if you do n’t find nine- 
teen hats out in that front hall this minute. 

Dot Ferguson! It’s a great big ’mittee- 
meeting; for papa said ’twas going to be 
in his study this morning, and I forgot 
’bout it. It ’s about a church or something 
they ’re going to build, and I heard papa 
tell mamma, ^ We’re going to talk it up.’ 

That ’s a funny way to build a church, I 
think, — talking it up ! But that ’s why 
they ’re here for.” 

^^Well, let’em,” said Dot; ^Hhey won’t 
hurt you.” 

They might come out,” said Polly, ner- — 
voiisly. And then they always take hold-^Jjii 
of your curls and say, ^ Ah, how do you do, 

37 


DRESS>'\ 

makingN 


/ 



The Christmas Cat 


little one ! ’ There ’s one man that always 
calls me ^ Sissy ! ’ ” 

HOW Polly ? ” Susie asked 

WINKY it rather low, because she knew it was a 
^^^HELPED (^[rgadful question ; but Polly heard and 
_ \ answered. 

XJ i 

^^Not so ve-ry much now, Susie. Once 
I did, but lately mamma makes me put him 
in my prayer, bedtimes. She says hating 
will keep you out of heaven. Mandy won’t 
let me talk it out to her, either. She says 
it ’s ‘ sinful to hold grudges.’ All the same, 
I wish that man’s hat was n’t there. It ’s 
the one that bothers me most of any.” 

I ’m not afraid of any ^ Sissy-man,’ ” 
called Dotty, boldly, running out into the 
hall to show she meant it. One, two, 
three, four, five, six, seven — seven on the 
hat-tree, Polly Plummer ; and one, two, 
three, four on the table. Yes, one more 
on top of his cane with his gloves and 
overcoat. Great ^ nineteen ’ that is ! ” 

38 


The Christmas Cat 


Seven and four and one/’ said Susie. 

That ’s twelve, and it ’s a great lot, Dotty, 
if you do n’t happen to like ministers.” 

Susie was all for peace, and a moment 
more would have hushed Polly’s fears, 
and sent her scudding up the carpeted 
stairs like a velvet-footed mouse to ask 
her mother for a fresh invoice of dolls’ 
dry-goods, when ^^all of a sudden,” as 
Mandy would have said, the hat on top of 
the cane rolled down off of it, the cane 
fell on the floor, and the gloves and the 
overcoat; and out of the hat rolled the 
most surprised-looking cat with a lot of 
silky white stuff all over his head and 
clinging in little rags to his paws. Of 
course it was Winky. He had made a 
regular rat’s-nest of that hat, and clawed 
the inside all out of it. The three girls 
stood fairly speechless. Horror is no name 
for the way they looked. And what shall 
I say of their feelings! 

39 




The Christmas Cat 



It might be the Sissy-man’s hat .! ” said 
Dotty, and her eyes danced, though she did 
HOW speak in a fearsome whisper. 

WINKY It might be all of their hats ! ” said 
HELPED Poiiy^ terribly frightened. ^^Look, quick, 
girls, has that kitty done it to any more of 
them but just that one ? ” 

Would n’t that gauzy stuff make lovely 
dolly-dresses ! ” said Susie, suddenly, snatch- 
ing up the cat and managing to secure quite 
a large piece that his sharp claws had not 
made sieve-cloth of. ^^Oh, don’t I wish” — 
But nobody ever heard what she wished, 
for Polly turned round with a frightened 
white face, and looked as if she were going 
to burst out crying. 

^^It ’s four hats he ’s fixed,” she whispered, 
taking up the four that had stood tops down 
on the table, and showing them, and three 
more on the hat-tree are all spoilt. Oh, 
what in the world shall we do ? Winky, 
you naughty, naughty, naughty cat ! See 
40 


The Christmas Cat 



^ 2 , 





now what mischief you Ve done! And what 
will papa say when he sees it ? ” 

Say,” said Susie, anxiously, perhaps I?j\3THE 

he need n’t see it. Maybe we can fix the \ 

. . . „ DRESS>^\ 

linings in again. MAKING 

“ What with? ” asked Polly, eagerly. No, 
we can’t. It isn’t any use. We haven’t 
any more of that nice stuff to do it with. 

That was lovely — some hke Brousa silk 
— my mother ’s got a scarf that came 
from Turkey, and this looks most e’zactly 
like it.” 

We might take cheese-cloth,” said Susie, 
hopefully. 

’N if we did, how could we sew it in ? ” 
asked Polly, practically. ‘‘ The stitches 
would show, I most know, and there is n’t 
any other way to do it.” 

Unless you pasted it,” said Dotty. 

We ’ve got lots of mucilage — enough for 
forty hats. And up-stairs I know where 
there ’s a bottle of Fish’s glue ” — 

41 


The Christmas Cat 




HOW 
WINKY 
f HELPED 





You mean Page’s glue, I suppose ! ” 
said Polly, crossly. Her troubles were 
beginning to tell on her temper. 

And if that won’t do, I ’ve got some over 
home that I know ivill hold ! ” said Susie, 
anxious to mend matters. It ’s marked 
^ Solid-as-a-rock,’ and mother says she 
never knew anything to part again in the 
same place after it had that on it.” 

Would n’t be very good to put on your 
hair, then, would it ? ” laughed Dotty, who 
could always see the funny side of a thing 
even if she was ready to cry her eyes out. 

0 girls ! 0 Dotty ! ” almost screamed 

Polly, going off suddenly into a helpless fit 
of giggling that fairly choked her in her 
efforts to keep still and not let the Com- 
mittee ” hear her. Suppose — just you 
suppose — that we did put on — some of 
that — glue Dotty told about, and that man 
put it on his head — his hat, you know — 
and it stuck f ” 


42 


The Christmas Cat 



dress>'\ 

MAKING) 


Polly was strangling now and so red in 
the face that both the girls pounded her on 
the back and told her to stop, to please lfj\3THE 
stop for pity’s sake. But she could n’t seem DOLLSV)\ 

TM>t7CC\/V 

to, and, for that matter, they were very 
nearly as badly off themselves. It takes 
so little to make you laugh when you are 
eight or nine years old, and each one of the 
three had a vivid picture of a tall, dignified 
gentleman trying vainly with both hands to 
lift his hat from his head to which (if the 
label on the bottle said true) it was glued 
forever, — as solid as a rock.” Pretty 
soon all three were laughing together, and 
they were laughing still in the sort of way 
that easily turns to sobbing, when the 
study door clicked and, one after another, 
the gentlemen began to file out leisurely, 
talking and chatting as they came, but 
coming all too suddenly upon the group 
of little girls, who stood, clinging to 
each other and giggling and holding the 
43 



The Christmas Cat 


HOW 

WINKY 

HELPED 



telltale hats in their hands, just for all the 
world as if they had been playing with 
them. 

Eh, what ’s this ? ” 

Ha, ha ! fairly caught ! ’’ 

Playing with our ^ stovepipes,’ were 
you ? ” 

Bless my heart, what ’s all this ? ” 

Polly 

The last one of these remarks was all 
that Polly really cared about by this time. 
She ran to her father as soon as he spoke 
her name and began to sob out the whole 
story. 

We did n’t mean to ! We never knew a 
thing about it! Winky did it every bit, 
only but we was trying to think of a way 
to fix the lining in again, and there was n’t 
any way but fish-glue and that would drop 
down on their hair and stick it ! ” 

Her father looked up at the row of rather 
rueful faces that were bending each over a 


The Christmas Cat 


somewhat battered head-covering, and fling- 
ing courtesy to the winds, he burst out into 
a hearty peal that made the cosey little 
parsonage ring again, especially as it was 
the signal for a general merry-go-round of 
laughter such as would do any minister s 
heart good of a Monday. 

Brethren, I will pay for the hats,” he 
cried, patting Polly’s stubby curls with one 
hand and holding out the other in a gen- 
eral gesture of friendliness to the suferers. 

You have still one thing to be thankful 
for. They did n’t mend them with fish- 
glue!” 

There was another laugh, and then one 
of the gentlemen stepped forward, smihngly, 
toward Polly who peeped at him with one 
grudging eye around her father’s shoulder. 
It was the man who usually called her 
Sissy.” 

My little girls always beg the old hat- 
linings to make dolly clothes with,” he said, 
45 



m^THE 

DOLLS>^^<S 

dress>A 

makingV 


The Christmas Cat 


HOW 

WINKY 

HELPED 



kindly. Would n’t you like some? 
They ’re not torn very badly.” 

“ Here ’s some, too ! ” 

And here ! ” 

And here ! ” 

Wait till I scoop mine out ! ” 

Everybody entered into the fun of it. 
The only regretful faces belonged to those 
whose hats had escaped damage. They 
were hardly equal to scooping ” the lining 
out of whole hats, but they said Amen to 
all that the others were doing. 

Polly presently ran to her mother with 
an armful of soft, dainty, cobwebby stuff 
for doll-dressing, and dropped it all down 
in her lap in a crumpled heap, while she 
threw her arms round her neck and began 
to talk and cry and sob out her mixed-up 
feelings in the queer PoUy-fashion that 
mother was used to. 

The Sissy-man started it — he was just 
as good as he could be. His little girls 


The Christmas Cat 


always want ’em, and so p’rliaps I would. 
And here I ’ve been praying for him just as 
hard as I could every night — and I ’m 
never going to hate him another bit — nor 
I won’t pray for him again a single once 
long as I live, see ’f I do ! ” 



DRESS>'\ 
MAKING^ 




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CHAPTER IV 


An Eastet Offeringf 

IRSTjthey gave their 
own selves/’ 

Papa Plummer 
smiled, and Polly 
passed up her plate, 
sure of good help- 
ing. It was a 
household custom 
in the Plummer 
family for the 
younger children to 
be asked to give the text after the morn- 
ing service, usually at dinner-time. Sister 
Margery who was teaching in Sharon, and 
Tom, down in Maine, had to do more than 
that when they came home. Apart from 
49 



The Christmas Cat 


any good they got out of the sermon, papa 
A A said that no boy or girl was going to grow 

AN family with a habit of half-listen- 

EASTER ing. They were all in training for re- 
OFFEEIING porters, and any one who could n’t give a 
S-CW ^ fair account of what had been said was 
called upon to show the reason why. Of 
course, if you were not more than ten years 
old, not so much was expected of you. 
Wally’s part was the Notices.” There ’s 
a Pussy-willow Party for all the Sunday- 
' school ! ” he shouted, and it ’s going down 
’long the old willow road, and everybody ’s 
going, down to the minister and deacons, 
that can get to go, and when they come 
j home the church is going to be trimmed up 
[with ’em ” — 

” asked Polly, to plague him. 
— and then after Sunday, they ’re all 
I going to be carted off to the Children’s 
I Hospital, ’cause the poor little children 
can’t go pussy-willerin’ for themselves ! ” 




The Christmas Cat 


Were there any other notices ? ” asked 
papa, when they had smiled a little over 
this one. 

d* know/’ said Wally, indifferently. 

Not any account, specially. Confer- 
ences and prayer-meetings and speakings. 
There ’s a mothers’ meeting, but I do n’t go 
to that. You see, papa, you ’member what 
you ’re m^-rusted in ! ” 

^^True for you, my son,” murmured papa, 
appreciatively. Well, you are plainly 
interested in the Pussy-willow Party.” 

think it’s just lovely to give away 
things ! ” said Polly, lingering lovingly 
over her last teaspoonful of Sunday ice- 
cream. I thought you had a be-yez(;tiful 
sermon this morning, papa ! ” 

“ Oh, you did ! ” said papa, dryly. 

Yes,” said Polly ; “ did n’t you ? I 
liked what you said ’bout giving all you 
thought you could ’ford to, and then shut- 
ting your eyes tight and giving some more. 


AN 

EASTER 

OFFERING 



51 


The Christmas Cat 


I tried it all the rest of the sermon-time — 
just make-believe, you know. I j^layed I ’d 
just given my two Sunday pennies — what 
EASTER I can ’ford to ; and then I winked my eyes 
up awful tight and shied in another one.” 
child ! ” cried mother. 

Well, upon my word ! ” laughed papa, 
unable to help laughing, even if mamma 
did shake her head at him. 

Shied ! ” cried Wally in delight. You 
use worser and worser words every day, 
Polly Plummer ! ” 

Oh, well, I did n’t do it,” said Polly, 
calmly. “It was only play make-believe. 
It ’s great fun, and you can keep all your 
things just the same. I gave away most 
every single thing I pezess, — ^cept my 
kitty, — and it did n’t hurt a mite.” 

“ Yes, 'cept ! ” mocked Wally. “ I guess 
you do n’t be giving away your kitty in a 
hurry; you like her too well.” 

“Well, I would, too, Wally Plummer! 
52 




The Christmas Cat 


If I thought I oughted to, I would. It 
is n’t any fun to give away what you want 
so awfully specially your own self, but — 
but — but ” — 

There, there, dears, now do n’t get to 
squabbling over make-believe virtues,” 
laughed mother, coming to the rescue, as 
she often did, between teasing Wally and 
over-sensitive Polly. The little girl’s sobs 
quieted under her mother’s pooring fingers, 
and somehow they all stopped to listen, as 
in from the kitchen came the words of the 
song Mandy was humming : — 

Give, then, for Jesus give, 

There is something all can give; 

Oh, do as the streams and blossoms do, 

And for God and others live.” 

To tell the truth,” said mamma, 
thoughtfully, when the children had been 
excused and she and papa were having a 
little quiet time together, beheve our 
63 


AN 

EASTER 

OFFERING 





The Christmas Cat 


little Polly stated the case pretty well. 
A ^ She is n’t naturally — that is, impulsively — 

AN geiierous. But she has a conscience that 
EASTER won’t let her be really mean or stingy, 


OFFERING 


Q.QOO 


and, as she said herself, if she thought she 
^ oughted to,’ she would give the clothes off 
her back. That cast-iron little conscience 
of hers ought to make a grand woman of 
her.” 

She is n’t — selfish ? ” asked father, 
anxiously. 

No,” said mother, no ; but she cares 
about her things, — has a real honest sense 
of their value, — and sometimes, as she 
says, it ^ is n’t any fun ’ to give away what 
she wants for herself. But she can give, 
I and give royally.” 

She will come out all right,” said papa, 
contentedly. They must all take hold 
in that Pussy-willow Party that appealed 
to Wally so. I ’m trying to train up a 
Sunday-school of givers and helpers. I 
54 



The Christmas Cat 

don’t leant it handed over to a Flower 
Committee or any other kind of a com- 
mittee. They ’ll go and have a good time 
first, getting the pretty things, then they ’ll E ASTE R 
have another good time fixing the church OFFERDTO 
up with them, and then the best time of 
all going with them afterward to that poor 
little children’s hospital, where they and 
their gifts will be as welcome as sunshine. 

Next Sunday I shall follow up the same 
thought in connection with the Easter cele- 
bration. I want Easter to mean something 
to them besides new hats and fiddle-diddle. 

My work is with the young people. I wish 
I could make these httle primary room 
babies see the beautiful real meaning of 
Easter — how God so loved that he gave, 
and that we must love till we give — not 
money, perhaps, but ourselves, first, as I 
told them to-day, and then our time and 
our thoughts and all the rest of it.” 

Yes, dear! ” 



55 


The Christmas Cat 


There was no need for saying anything 
more, and so Mrs. Plummer did n’t say it. 
AN When you know people well enough, you 

They 


EASTER do n’t have to keep saying things. 

OFFERING 


QQOO 


The church did look beautiful the next 
Sunday. Everywhere soft gray banks of 
pussies,” and, peeping out here and there, 
like a splendid red flame through gray ashes, 
were spikes of scarlet geraniums that had 
come from half the people in the neighbor- 
hood. Mr. Plummer carried out his idea 
of training up givers and helpers even in 
the work of the Flower Committee. Every- 
where the people were encouraged to give 
the church decorations, and to grow flowers 
on purpose so that they could give. He 
was sure to notice the plant-window in 
every house where he made a parish call,” 
and women came to have many a tender 
thought of the church as they picked off 
dead leaves and coaxed their backward 
56 


The Christmas Cat 


posies. When a plant did bloom, he 
always praised it, and seemed to expect 
that as a matter of course it would make 
its first appearance in front of the pulpit. 

That was why there happened to be one 
splendid pot of lilies along with the others 
after all. The woman who brought it had 
seven children always around under foot” 
(as she said), but somehow or other she had 
found time to plant and water and love 
into blooming a wonderful stalk of per- 
fumed blossoms, and the minister would 
have thrown all his pussy-willows out of 
the window rather than disappoint her lov- 
ing plan of seeing them there in the place 
of honor. 

God so loved that he gave.” 

That was Mr. Plummer s sermon text, 
and little Polly listened with eyes front,” 
and not a bit of make-believe the whole 
way through, this morning. Some way a 
sweet thought of the great, wonderful gift 


AN 

EASTER 

OFFERING 




67 


The Christmas Cat 


of Jesus’ life and love crept into her child- 
ish heart, and then came the other thought 
AN ^hat always goes hand in hand with it — 
EASTER what could she do to show him she loved 


OFFERING 

QQOO 






back ” ? You know what I mean, children. 
When you think how Jesus has loved you, 
you can’t help loving in your turn, and 
then of course you want to do something, 
as a kind of little silent way of saying 
Thank you ! ” So it is no wonder that 
little Polly’s heart was very soft, and she 
felt like saying Yes to every loving word 
of invitation that her papa was saying to 
her and all the people. 

Mr. Plummer saw deep down into a good 
many little people’s hearts that day besides 
PoUy’s. Sometimes it is easy to do so. 
Being a wise man, he knew that it is a 
great mistake ever to let good thoughts 
and feelings run to waste. If you do n’t go 
at once and do something at such a time, 
you might better have no good feelings at 
58 




The Christmas Cat 

all. Such thoughts are like pansies that 
all run to seed ” because nobody picks 
them. Pretty soon your garden will be 
all run out.’’ 

So he came into the Sunday-school, as 
usual, at the last five minutes, and he said 
he was going to give them all a chance to do 
something. He knew that a lot of the boys 
and girls there felt as if they loved Jesus 
with all their hearts to-day — he could see 
it in their faces — and as if they would do 
anything in the world they could think of 
to please Him. And that kind of feeling, 
he told them, if it only went on through 
all the minutes of all the days, is what 
makes anybody a Christian. And the way 
to make it go on, and grow more and more 
and stronger and stronger, is to give it 
something to do all the time. Do every 
single little thing to please Jesus. If you 
give anything, give it for his sake, because 
you love him. ^^Who is there here,” he 
59 


AN 

EASTER 

OFFERING 





The Christmas Cat 


asked, that wants to give something this 
very minute — something he really loves 
AN aiid that is worth giving — just out of love 

EASTER for Jesus? I’ll take any such gift — I 

OFFERING , ,, w, • t m • 

do n t care what it is — and i 11 promise to 

find a use for it in his name, just as he 
would if you put it in his hand and said, 
^ Please take it with my love ! ’ ” 

• Well! you won’t believe what hap- 
pened. Over in one corner of the long pri- 
mary row, up popped a little girl, and she 
said, “ I ’ve got six cents, and it ’s all my 
own candy money, and — I ’d like to 1 ” 
^^So you shall, dear child,” said the 
pastor in a queer, unsteady kind of voice 
that he tried not to let be very shaky. 

One little girl went and whispered to her 
mother a minute, and then stood up and 
said she should like to give a doll ; and the 
minister said he thought he could find a 
beautiful use for that. He did n’t laugh a 
bit when a boy handed up a whitey-gray bag 
60 


The Christmas Cat 


of marbles without saying anything. How 
a boy happened to have them in his Sunday 
pocket was a question that he did not see AN 
any need of bringing up just then, and he E AST ER 
did n’t look as if he saw anything funny in 
putting the bag right on top of the superin- 
tendent’s pile of quarterhes for everybody 
to look at. 

But he was n’t prepared to have his own 
little Polly Plummer pop up in her seat, 
behind the pillar, and say in a sweet, rather 
shrill voice (so that everybody could hear, 
even Mr. Wall, the sexton, whose ears 
were n’t very much good to him common 
days) : — 

I want to give Winky ! ” 

What’s the child say?” asked one of 
the old ladies in the Bible class. Hardly 
anybody there understood what she said. Of 
course a few knew that Polly had a cat, and 
that his name was Winky, but the rest 
didn’t understand, and they kept looking 
61 



The Christmas Cat 


at the minister who stood there, looking 
more puzzled than they did. What was he 
going to do, and how was he going to get 
EASTER out of it ? Had n’t he promised to take any 
OFF^ING mft that was offered, and make or find a 

oo o o . 

what in the world could 
anybody do with a cat ? Who wants a cat ? 
He could n’t sell, lose, or give one away. All 
the time there was Polly standing, red- 
faced, but patient, waiting for her father to 
say he would take it, just the same way as 
he had the others. 

Really it was only a few seconds before 
he found his tongue, and began to say some- 
thing, if for no other reason than to stop 
the giggling and laughing that was begin- 
ning to spread all over the room, and mak- 
ing poor little Polly’s face redder and redder 
every minute. 

Into the middle of his stammering sen- 
tence broke a clear, kind voice that made 
all eyes turn to see who was speaking. 

62 


The Christmas Cat 


I have just thought of a lovely use for 
such a gift/’ said the clear, kind voice, and 
if the little girl will stop and talk with me 
after the school is ended, I am sure she will EASTER 
be gladder than ever that she can give so OFFERING 
dear an offering ^ in His name.’ ” 

Polly drew a great sigh that was like a 
sob, and sat down. Then the superin- 
tendent’s bell rang, and all stood up to 
sing the closing hymn, and when that was 
over, the kind-voiced stranger walked over 
to Polly’s pillar to have a talk with the lit- 
tle girl who sat behind it. But there was 
no Polly there. She had slipped out dur- 
ing that last singing. 









A CAT TO L£:ND 




CHAPTER V 


A Cat to Lend 

HE front door was locked, as 
usual, and the key in Mr. 
Plummers pocket; the side 
porch door was also locked, 
and the key in Mandy’s 
pocket. She was expected to get home 
first from Sunday-school, and put on the 
potatoes for the two-o’clock Sunday dinner. 
Polly knew a trick about the fastenings of 
the buttery window, so the matter of keys 
did not trouble her. She climbed in over a 
row of glass jars containing cold coffee, milk 
left over from breakfast, thrifty savings from 
the cucumber bowl, and a lot of other bottled 
remnants designed to make it unpleasant 
for burglars, and at the same time (if they 
65 




The Christmas Cat 



wA CAT 
TO LEND 




did 7i't upset any of them) handy for Mandy. 
Polly wasn’t as skillful as a professional 
housebreaker, and her pink-sprigged Sun- 
day delaine was decorated impartially with 
samples of nearly all of these wet goods ” 
by the time she had picked her way over 
them. She did not stop to sweep up the 
bits of broken glass or to cry over spilt 
milk. She ran swiftly up the back stairs to 
the room over the woodshed where Winky 
always spent what Mandy called the fore 
part of the Sabbath,” while the rest of the 
family were at church. He rose, yawning 
and stretching, to greet her. Something in 
her tragic face seemed to make him solemn, 
for he gathered his four feet together sud- 
denly, and sat up, looking her straight in 
the face as if to say, Well, what is it?” 

Polly was down on the floor looking as if 
there were nothing left to live for. 

0 Winky ! ” she cried, how can I let 
you go ? ” 


66 


The Christmas Cat 


Winky winked. As he did not under- 
stand what she was talking about, there 
was nothing else to do. 

’Course I love to do something for 
Jesus his beautiful Easter day ! I expect 
prob’ly they ’ll give you to the bhnd chil- 
dren in the Kindergarten, and they ’ll feel 
your soft fur, Winky, and find the pretty 
pink silk lining of your cute little ears, and 
poor your long, lovely tail ; or else maybe 
they ’ll give you to the other children where 
we took the pussy-willows ; and I ’ll be glad, 
Winky — I truly will be glad — I said I 
would, only but — saying you ’ll do a thing 




67 


The Christmas Cat 



.A CAT 
TO LEND 


is n’t all there is to it. After that, you ’ve 
got to do it ! ” 

‘‘ Polly Plummer ! ” cried Wally, rushing 
in like a whiff of a whirlwind. There ’s a 
man down-stairs that wants to see you! 
And it ’s the man that said that about your 
kitty. He ’s come.” 

‘‘ He ’s come 1 ” echoed Polly, solemnly, 
gathering Winky in her cuddling arms, and 
going slowly down the woodshed stairs to 
meet him. 

The stranger sprang forward as she en- 
tered the room, and one glance at her misty 
eyes told him the state of the case as well as 
if he had heard her talk to the kitten up 
in the ham-chamber. 

And this is the little girl that has a cat 
to lend ? ” 

Yes,” faltered Polly, it ’s a cat to give. 
I said I would.” 

‘‘ Yes, of course,” assented the stranger. 

I suppose you thought you would send it 


68 


The Christmas Cat 


to the Asylum, or the Home, perhaps, and 
your little pet would be a lovely Easter gift i'\j) 

to them ? It ’s a beautiful thought, cer- ^ CAT 
tainly. The doll and the marbles and the TO LEND^^ 
other things will be used that way. They 
— they — the superintendent said they 
didn’t exactly know what to do with a 
cat” 


Oh ! ” said Polly, with a real note of 
disappointment in her voice. 

^^But as I told you,” went on the stranger, 
brightly, I had a sudden idea pop into my 
mind, and I ’ve come to talk it over with 
you. Do you know me ? You know my 
father. Dr. Varney. He said he knew you 
ever since there was any Polly.” 

Does he know my cat ? ” 

Well, not intimately. But I ’ll tell you 
what I heard him say only yesterday, and it 
put the whole idea into my head. He said 
he wished there was an Amusement Bureau, 
or something that would send out girls and 



The Christmas Cat 



boys to entertain these poor little sick chil- 
dren, who have n’t anything to play with or 
anything to do but he and ache by the 
hour. And he said he wished the Christian 
Endeavorers, or King’s Daughters, or some- 
thing would start such a thing. It flashed 
over me in a minute that you and your 
kitty could n’t be improved upon as an 
Amusement Bureau.” 

Oh ! ” said Polly, half understanding, 
yet more than half puzzled. She had not 
thought the thing through yet as he had. 

They have such dreadful places to live 
in,” he went on, watching her face. 
went with my father Saturday to see a 
little fellow who had his leg broken. He 
was only four years old. I had to climb 
over two wash-tubs to get to him, for 
he was in a kind of little side closet right 
off the kitchen, and his mother was wash- 
ing. He hadn’t any playthings, or any- 
thing to do all day.” 


70 


The Christmas Cat 



Oh ! ’’ said Polly. 

Nights, when his father comes home, 
he stays with him and talks, and tells A CAT f 

him things. His father is an expressman, LEND^ 
and he took his little boy out with him to 
give him a ride, and somehow the little 
fellow fell under the wheel. The father 
feels so bad; but he can’t stay at home 
with him, and he hasn’t much money to 
buy playthings. They haven’t any cat. 

Probably there would n’t be money enough 
to buy milk for one.” 

“ Oh ! ” said PoUy. ' 

That makes three times you ’ve said 
^ Oh ! ’ ” remarked the gentleman, smil- 
ingly. Do n’t you think you might try 
some other letter of the alphabet?” 

Polly did n’t smile. She was too much 
in earnest. 

‘^Why don’t you have your Bureau- 
thing begin right off, and make that poor 
little boy have some fun ? You can have 
71 


The Christmas Cat 




fun even if you feel awfully! I know, 
because once I had the mumps on both 
A CAT sides, and it ached all over me, but Mandy 
TO LEND read me, ^ Susy’s Six Birthdays,’ and 
mamma read me, ^Helen’s Babies,’ and 
papa played, ^ Give-Away ’ checkers with 
me, and it ’s just the solemn truth that 
I had a perfectly lovely time. ’Course 
I do n’t know anything about broken 
legs.” 

They are very much like mumps, I 
should say,” smiled her friend, encour- 
agingly. He wanted as much as possible 
of the new scheme to seem to come from 
her, and it did. 

Why could n’t I take Winky some 
morning — oh, I forgot ! I have n’t got 
Winky. Well, I could go my own self.” 
“ Oh, you must have Winky ! ” 

How could I ? I ’ve givened 


away. 

Yes. 


Well, now, I have a plan. 
72 


him 


My 


The Christmas Cat 


father sent me down here to see you about 
it.” 

Dr. Varney ! ” 

You see he knows a good deal about 
you, and he told me a good deal about you. 
I asked him. You know, away oft in 
New York, I do n’t have very much chance 
to see people that I was born and brought 
up with, and so when I come home it 
takes me two or three days to catch up 
with the news ; and I ask questions eight 
solid hours every day.” 

^^Do you, really?” 

Pretty near. Father likes to have me. 
You are some of the. very new news. Last 
time I came you were only a little baby. 
And he says you are very fond of cats.” 

^^One cat,” said Polly, dropping a kiss 
on Winky’s nose. 

^^And he said perhaps — I could come 
and see about it — you might be willing 
to agree to take charge of Winky, sort 
73 





A CAT 

TO LEND^' 





o 


o 


The Christmas Cat 



of keep him in trust, you know, and be 
on call any time he wanted you to go and 
kA cat ^ hour or an hour, just as your 
TO LEND mother could spare you, for the Amuse- 
ment Bureau.” 

Polly fairly gasped. But she asked a 
question.* 

‘^Does Dr. Varney have the say of my 
cat?” 

^^As I told you, he thinks he could 
make a very beautiful use of your cat. 
The superintendent is willing, if you 
are.” 


‘‘Well, I am glad and thankful!” burst 
out Polly, earnestly, as a vision of the kind- 
faced, gray old doctor rose up before her. 
“ For now I sha’ n’t worry so about boys 
plaguing her or little babies taking her up by 
the handle or hurting my itty-petty kitty- 
catty!” she finished, falling all at once 
into baby-talk, and hugging Winky till he 
mewed. The young man laughed at Polly’s 



74 


The Christmas Cat 


idea of abuse, and especially at her way 
of expressing it, but stuck to the main 
point. 

The question is, will you do it ? ” 

It would be a new kind of a hospital 
nurse, would n’t it ? ” said Polly, beaming. 

Very new ! ” 

^^Dr. Varney’s son, I think you are just 
sioeet ! ” 

Polly knew that the young man’s name 
was Gilbert, and’ probably, if she had 
thought, she would have known that his 
last name must be Varney, but somehow, 
just then, Doctor Varney’s son ” seemed 
the very nicest name for him. It was as if 
the goodness and thoughtful kindness and 
gentleness and motlierliness that she had 
known all her life in old Dr. Varney — for 
there are some men that you can say that 
word of — had suddenly put on black” 
and reappeared in this dark-eyed, dark- 
haired young man with the bright red color 



A CAT 
TO LEND^" 


75 


The Christmas Cat 


in his cheeks, and the strong brown hands 
of a champion golf-player. 

Young ladies usually like me ! he 
answered, composedly. Though I do n’t 
know as they often say just that — to 
my face. Then I can tell him you agree 
to it?” 

“ I T1 go tell him myself,” said Polly, 
promptly. That is, if mother does n’t 
object to me visiting Sunday. It is n’t such 
very much visiting — just down the street 
and round two comers. Besides, it ’s ” — 

Charitable work,” supplied young Mr. 
Varney. 

Yes. I ’ll go ask her. You can stay 
and hold Winky.’’ 

When she came back Winky was all 
ready with hat and gloves on — her little 
brown kid mittens which were lying on the 
hat-rack table, and her old red Tam ” with 
the strings to it, which kept it on very 
nicely, if you did n’t mind the greater part 
76 



VARNEY’S SON', I THINK 
YOU ARE JUST SWEET!’* 







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The Christmas Cat 



of. it lying along his back as a sort of over- 
coat. She caught him up gigghng, and 
would n’t take off his queer street costume, A CAT 
but, finding a head-covering more suitable LEND^^ 
to the season for herself, carried him in 
that rig to see the doctor. 

He was lying on the sofa in his study, 
with his big round goggles pushed up on 
the top of his head, and his old gray dress- 
ing-gown traihng on the floor, instead of 
being wrapped round him as it ought to be. 

Polly came up close to him the minute she 
was let in, and asked, pointblank, ^^Did 
you really mean it ? ” 

Mean what ? ” he cried, sitting up and 
fumbling for his glasses. ^^Oh, the cat! 

Bless my soul! And Polly. Mean what, 

I’d hke to know? What’s that young 
rascal been telling you ? ” 

^^Tell him, Polly,” said ^Hhat young 
rascal,” who stood by, enjoying things. So 
Polly told him, in her own way, all the facts 
77 




The Christmas Cat 



of the case, even putting in at the end some 
of the feelings. 

wA CAT ^^Well, well, well!” cried the old man, 
TO LEND looking at her admiringly and lovingly. 

Of course I meant it — every word I said 
about it. What do you think of it as 
a scheme, now ? By way of going into 
partnership, say, with the old doctor?” He 
had pulled her down beside him on the sofa, 
by this time, and with an arm around her, 
was rapidly developing the scheme himself 
in ways that his son had not as yet out- 
lined. Doctors do have ’em, you know, 
— nurses that they can have any time on 
call. I know one old chap that runs three, 
keeps ’em busy all the time, and no end of 
good they do his patients, too. I think I 
could manage two nicely.” 

Me and Winky ? ” said Polly, gravely. 
That his name ? Yes ; you and Winky. 
Most any day I can count on you to spare 
me an hour to ride with me in my old 
78 



The Christmas Cat 



buggy? The cat's just right this way. 

Take you both to-morrow to see that ex- 
pressman’s boy, if you want. Make him ^ CAT 
laugh, I guess, and that ’s just what I want. TO LEND^^ 
He ’s fretting himself into such a fever the 
leg never ’ll heal in the Lord’s world.” 

“ I know mother ’ll let me,” said Polly, 
confidently. I have n’t asked her but 
she ’ll say ^ Yes.’ Now I ’ll go home so she 
won’t worry, but I will watch for you every 
minute till you come, you darling old doc- 
tor ! ” 

All right. Kiss me, first.” 

“Kiss Winky,” said Polly. And the 
good old doctor obediently touched the tip 
of one of Winky’s little fuzzy ears. 




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CHAPTER VI 



Polly Plummcf, 

She^ — 

HE bright June sun 
was already up and 
smiling broadly at the 
world, as if it knew 
it had got the better 
of it, and Miss Lois, 
the doctor’s sister, said 
it was high time honest folks were up, 
too, and had their breakfast. She made 
the doctor start a great deal earlier than 
he wanted to these fine mornings. 

Guess that must be the rising bell ! ” 
he groaned, sleepily, as she rang for the 
third time, and pretty sharply, too. 

Dear me, I ’m getting old and lazy ! 
I Ve got to look around for an assistant.” 

81 


The Christmas Cat 




I) 


V After all, I suppose he ’s tired,” said 
''"VMiss Lois to herself, remembering all at 
'^'"J*OLLY once how he had been called np at mid- 

UMMERn 


night, and did n’t get back for at least an 


v: 


'is 


\ 


hour and a half. Half-past six is n’t so 
^very bad, considering. I believe that 
Jones’ baby just plans for colic at mid- 
night.” 

Just then the door-bell tinkled loudly, 
and Miss Lois went pattering to see who 
it was. If it was late for breakfast, it 
was certainly early for callers, and she said 
to herself that it was probably a peddler 
or something coming at that time o’ day, 
and ringing the bell as if they wanted 
to pull it out by the roots and run oif 
with it. 

Mostly when they ring so loud, 
they ’ve got ‘ a little work ’ to show you,” 
she remarked, shrewdly, as she undid the 
night-bolt. Anybody that’s sick comes 
round to the night-door. I can teU them 
82 


The Christmas Cat 


they might as well save their breath 

to"- 

^^Does Dr. Varney want to buy any << p^ j y y 
more cats ? ” PLUMMER 

Bertie Clapp’s freckled face looked very ^ 

honest and eager, so that even Miss Lois 
couldn’t think he was making game of^^**’^ 
her, and yet what other reason could pos- 
sess a boy like that to come around offer- ^ 
ing cats to sell? 

Any more loJiat 1 ” she said in as 
sharp a voice as if he had forgotten to 
wipe his feet on the door-mat. 

Cats,” he repeated, sturdily. The 
sight of Miss Lois’ corkscrew curls always 
made him quake in his boots, but he 
wasn’t going to give in without telling 
what he had come for. He was afraid to 
look up to the sharp gray eyes and the 
prim, straight mouth, all puckered with 
wrinkles that came from years of saying 
No ” to people ; but he told his errand, 

83 



The Christmas Cat 




^ of course Miss Lois said, No, he 
|\ (Jo n’t ! ” before he got through with it. 

He expected that. 

"^lumMer, Well, what’d he buy Polly Plummer’s 

^5st4F ^ 

cat for, then?” he demanded in such 
- very sharp voice because of his dis- 

appointment that Miss Lois shut the door 
in his face without further ceremony. 

Won’t anybody talk short to me on 
my own door-step ! ” she declared, grimly, 
and went off about her own affairs in high 
dudgeon. 

Bertie, left out on the door-step, hugged 
his cat, and told it just exactly what he 
thought of Miss Varney, never minding 
that the windows were all open and that 
lady where she might have gathered a 
good deal of valuable information if she 
had cared to listen. 

Never asked me what I wanted to sell 
a cat for, nor anything ! ” he grumbled as 
he stood kicking the door-scraper. ^^’Sif 
84 



The Christmas Cat 


a fellow would go ’n’ sell his kitty-cat, 
anyway, ’thout he had to ; but when the 
cattle-show is coming, what you going to « POLLY 
do? I don’t know how that mean little PLUMMER;*^ 
Polly Plummer got round the doctor so ! 

’Course he paid her a lots o’ money for it, ^ 
if she does pretend she gave it to him. 

Do n’t see what he wants o’ cats, but if -3 
he does he can have ’em. We fellows 
would ruther have the money. And 
he ’ll have a chance to if he does want to. 

I made the rest o’ the boys hold off till 
I got the first chance, seeing I thought 
about it, but the whole nine of ’em ’s going 
to try. Whoever gets the most money ’ll 
have to divide up with the rest, that’s 
all. Huh ! Jimmy, that you ? ” 

Time ’t was me ! ” said Jimmy. 

You ’ve stayed just ’bout six hours on 
that door-step, and not sold your cat 
neither ! Now play fair and let somebody 
else have a chance.” 


85 


The Christmas Cat 


.ft 




I'l 

•'I L 


All right ; go ahead. But it won’t do 
■'’"V you any good with Miss Lois there to nip 
Xt<J>OLLY your nose off.” 

Jimmy marched up courageously, how- 
ever. He pulled the bell in a do-or-die 
fashion, just as Bertie had, and the door 
opened with a sharp chek that made the 
brindled cat in his arms prick up his ears 
and arch his back suspiciously. 

Polly Plummer, she,” — began Jimmy, 
as soon as he could get his mouth open. 

No, she did n’t neither ! ” interrupted 
Miss Lois, who had interviewed the doctor, 
and knew what she was talking about. 

The doctor has n’t bought any cats, and 
he is n’t thinking about it. Do you sup- 
i pose he ’s planning to set up some kind 

of a cat asylum ? ” 

— I did n’t know ! ” rephed Jimmy, 
meekly. Miss Lois banged the door, and 
he went sorrowfully down the steps. 

What ’s all this ringing so early in the 
86 




The Christmas Cat 


morning, Lois ? ” asked the doctor, as he 
passed his cup for a second filling. ^^No 
chance for a man to have so much as a 

cat-nap.’’ PLUMMER^ 

^ SHE ^ 

Catrnap ! ” cried his sister, provoked at*^ ^ 

his choice of a word. ^^Do n’t say 
nap ’ to me ! I ’d take any cat by the 

X ♦ d %J 

nape of its neck that showed its head m 
the house to-day, I do believe. All the 
boys in town are possessed to pester me, 
and this morning it ’s cats. Expect they ’ll 
bring ’em at the rate of about one every 
fifteen minutes all day, now they ’ve got 
a-going ! ” 

It seemed as if she were a true prophet, 
for the meal was n’t ended when tinkle- 
tinkle went the bell again. 

^^Well, I never!” she cried, thoroughly 
provoked and vexed. If that boy ’s got 
a cat in his arms, be it black or white or 
malty ” — 

Here, Aunt Lois,” began her nephew, 

87 


"POLLY 


The Christmas Cat 


.1 


laughing, let me see what all this me- 
nagerie is about. They seem to have got on 
track of little Polly Plummer, and if 
I \e made trouble for you, it ’s only fair 
that I go and set things right again. You 
sit still, auntie ! ” 

Eat them up, Gilbert,’’ said Dr. Varney, 
helping himself to another muffin. Your 
aunt would, in a minute.” 

Well, upon my word ! ” said young Mr. 
Varney, opening the door and smiling geni- 
ally at the red-faced boy who stood there 
with a big Angora kitten sitting up in the 
crook of his arm. ^^An Angora, sure as 
Sunday ! Do you boys peddle cats of that 
breed for a living ? ” 

There ’s just one kind of a cat that ’s 
worth giving house-room,” Miss Lois was 
saying, back at the breakfast-table, ^^and 
that ’s an Ang-goarer” (so she pronounced 
it). I ’ve seen Ang-goarer kittens that I 
could and would have made a pet of, with 
88 



The Christmas Cat 


'n a ^7 


their soft, fluffy necks and their big tails 
and their ears and all. I ’ve always^ — 
wanted one.” 

Is n’t any Nangora ’bout this cat,” said PLUMMERV 
Joey Peters, looking down proudly at his^^^ — ^ 
handsome burden. She ’s better 
Nangora. Look at the tail on her ! ” 

Handsome tail, is n’t it? Not an An-.^^ 
gora ? What kind do you call her ? ” ^ 

Persia,” said Joey, eagerly. My 
auntie sa 3 ^s that ’s the handsomest cat in 
the world. And the way you know ’em 
from a Nangora is their long, silky hair, and 
the tail that ’s fluffy like a feather. See ? ” 

Joey lifted the long, plume-hke tail as he 
spoke, and the beautiful creature leaped to 
the floor of the hall and walked in stately 
fashion across the Turkish rug at the foot 
of the stairs, and into the library. 

Never mind — do n’t call her back,” 
said the young man, hospitably. Step in. 

I think she is going to consult the encyclo- 
89 


The Christmas Cat 


(I 

1 


iDedia under CatSj or the Century, to see 
\ jf have really rightly named her. This 

^ JPOLLY way, ma’am,” he said, politely, pulling out 
TLUMTffiR, two or three books of reference, some with 

ff 

colored plates, and spreading them out on 
5X';-’^'^the floor gravely before her fluffy ladyship. 

what they say. M-m-m. ^ An- 
gora or Persian.’ ^ Angora, sometimes 
spoken of as Persian.’ But here ’s a maga- 
zine article by Olive Thorne Miller, too, a 
good authority which insists on a differ- 
ence. Tn form, the bewitching Persian 
does not greatly differ from the Angora, 
but the tail is much more effective, for the 
longest and the thickest set hairs being at 
the tip, they form a magnificent plume, 
which the dignified owner carries proudly 
erect, waving in the air as he moves.’ Is 
your tail ^effective,’ eh? Let ’s see if you 
carry it proudly erect ! Well, my boy, sup- 
pose we say that, for all practical purposes, 
this cat is an Angora. That ’s the kind of 


The Christmas Cat 


cat I ’m looking for to-day. My aunt has 
a great desire for an Angora. What did •T,"" 
you say you would sell her for ? ” W POLLY 

What 11 you give ? ” said Joey. All PLUMMER,’ 
we want is enough to go to the cattle- ^ ^ 
show.'’ ' 

“Who ’s ‘we’?” 3?^ 

‘‘Me and nine more. Polly Plummer, 
she said she was going to let the doctor 
have her cat Winky — or, anyway, Wally 
said so — and we thought if the doctor was 
buying cats maybe we could get the money 
to go with.” 

“ Where did you get your cats ? ” 

“ Oh, some we had, and some we traded 
for. I swapped a little puppy-dog with one 
of the boarders down t’ the beach for mine.” 

“ And you say you were all coming here 
to try and sell your cats ? ” 

“ Oh, not all at once,” said Joey. “ One 
after the other ’long in the course o’ the 
day, so ’t they would n’t get tired of us.” 

91 


The Christmas Cat 


see. And you would be perfectly 
t \ satisfied if you got money enough to take 

you all in and perhaps a bag o’ peanuts 
*^TPLUMMER> over ? ” 

Guess we would ! ” 

^^And you would n’t bring any more 
^ cats if we took this one ? ” 

No, indeed. I ’d tell the other fel- 
lows.” 

Well, you just wait here a minute 
while I go speak to my aunt about it.” 

You do n’t mean to say you asked him 
into the libra’y, Gilbert ! ” said Miss Lois, 
wrathfully. And he with another cat ! 
Well, he ’ll get out o’ that pretty quick, 
now I tell you ! ” 

Gilbert whispered something into his 
father’s ear, and the two men followed her 
gleefully on tiptoe. Eound the bend of 
the staircase they stopped, and watched 
her standing on the threshold of the 
library. Plainly, what she saw both 
92 



The Christmas Cat 


pleased and surprised her, so they crept 

forward and peeped over her shoulder. 0^/^ 

the rug in front of one of the low bookcases '^' POLLY 

stood Joey with his cat perched on the top PLUMMER^ 

of it, while he reached up his arms with a^^^ 

^ 

caressing motion, wholly unconscious that^^^^^^ 
any one was looking at him. It was a^^ 
pretty picture. 

My ! what a beauty cat ! ” 

Ain’t she ? ” beamed the boy, looking 
round delightedly. Polly Plummer, she 
Pooh on Polly Plummer! I sh’d think 
I ’d told boys enough this morning that 
the doctor is n’t buying cats. But that is 
n’t saying that I would n’t like that one if 
I could get it.” 

I make you a present of it, auntie 1 ” 
said her nephew, kissing her unexpectedly 
on her wrinkled cheek as he came close up 
behind her. Here ’s your money, bub, 
and remember the bargain. Hold on a 
minute, though. Set down your cat — she ’s 
93 


The Christmas Cat 




yours, auntie, yes, really — and come out 
here a minute. I want to speak to you. 
Now, here ’s the money. Do you want it 
"PLUJMER, in half-dollars? It will divide better. But 

. , 

. 1 ^ 




why do n’t you invite me to go along 
with you, and take you into all the side- 




shows, and treat you now and then ? What 
say ? ” 

Why, ’course and — of course ! Say, 
won’t you ? ” 

“ Seeing you urge me,” said Mr. Gilbert, 
graciously. Remember, this party is to be 
personally conducted, and I ’m the con- 
ductor.” 

All right,” said Joey, joyfully, and 
thank you, thank ye, thank ” — . A trail 
of thank-yous ” followed his flying feet 
as he suddenly took to his heels and van- 
ished down the road. He had caught a 
glimpse of a stealthy row of boys, each 
with a cat in his arms, and, mindful of his 
agreement, was on the run to head them 


The Christmas Cat 


SHE-^iSsC 


off before they came near enough to trouble 
anybody. As for their new friend, he 
looked, too, and laughed. 

Good beginning ! he said, thought- PLUMMER, 
fully. Cattle-show first, and then the 
Sunday-school. I won’t let it hurt them 
any. I ’ll have that whole ten at the crook 
of my finger before the month is out. And, ^ 
as Aunt Lois would say, ^ it ’s all along o’ 
httle Polly Plummer.’ ” 


“-7 


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doctor winry 



CHAPTER VII 


Doctor Wmky 

OLLY had dressed 
Winky up for mission- 
ary duty for what she 
called three mornings 
in concussion,” and 
nothing came of it. 
No stout old gold- 
spectacled doctor came to carry out his part 
of the program. On the fourth day, how- 
ever, the low, roomy chaise stopped at the 
Plummer dooryard. 

Is Dr. Winky at home ? ” 

Mandy stared, then burst out laughing. 
For a moment she had forgotten that 
Winky was engaged as the doctor’s assist- 
ant. 



97 


The Christmas Cat 


I ’ll go see/’ she said. Any word 
to send ’em ? ” 

DCXrrOR Oh, Polly ’ll know,” he said, easily. 
pilWINKY I ’ll wait out here till she gets her hat on.” 

Mamma,” cried Polly, running in 
all in a flutter with her white sash-strings 
flying, I may go, may n’t I ? — I truly 
may ? And you won’t feel lonely or neg- 
lected or anything because I go away 
and leave you with nobody but Mandy 
and Wally? And, papa, won’t?” she 
implored, whisking round so that the 
beautiful bow mamma was tying came all 
undone. Because it would be dreadful 
to go off doing mish’nary work and leave 
my dearest, darlingest home untookened 
care of ! ” 

Papa, who had not yet gone to his study 
for the morning, held his paper a trifle 
higher so that it hid his mustache. 

^^It is all right, little girl,” he said, 
kindly. 



98 


The Christmas Cat 

^^How about Wally?’’ asked mamma, 
not merely to tease her. She wanted her 
to get in the habit of considering Wally. 

Oh, Wally!” said Polly, blankly. 
Then, after a pause, You ought to know, 
mamma, that I would do just anything 
for that boy, but when it comes to giving 
up doing good for the sake of ” — 

Your brother,” suggested Mrs. Plummer. 
— I think it ’s asking a little too 
much 1 ” 

“ Go along, goosie ! ” laughed mamma, 
giving her a little pat and push toward 
the door. Wally and I have a little 
plan of our own, and your going won’t 
make a bit of difference.” 

Jump in I ” 

The doctor spoke quietly and pleasantly, 
but it was the tone that meant Quick! ” 
with Dr. Varney, so she did not keep him 
waiting. Once in, they jogged along com- 
fortably through the pleasant rose-bordered 



DOCTOR 

WINKY 


The Christmas Cat 


roads till they reached a patch of woods 
where the wild roses gave way to tangled 



DOCTOR bushes, and then to slim young saplings 


which the tall pines shot up 


: straight as needles into the far blue sky, 

which could be seen only in handbreadth 
glimpses through their tops. 

‘^Oh, are you going to take the woods 
road?’’ she cried in delight as the old 
chaise took a swing at the crossroads. 

Do n’t you like it ? ” asked the doctor, 
watching her pleased face. 

‘‘ Love it ! ” said Polly. In there 
somewhere is a place where lots of little 
red berries grow. Eight on the ground. 
Dr. Varney! and oh, they’re as sweet as 
anything ! Papa let me get out and pick 
a cupful once, — his little rubber drinking- 
cup that he always carries in his pocket. 
I suppose you could n’t stop and let me 
get out and pick some, just a little few, 
could you ? ” 




The Christmas Cat 

Partridgeberries, do you mean? Long, 
bright stems running over the ground? 
Little round, shiny leaves? A kind of a 
cherry smell to the blossoms ? 

‘^Dr. Varney, you Ve had some ! You Ve 
been partridging your own self, for that ’s 
just the way they are. Oh, could you? 
Just a little minute ? ” 

Oh, I suppose if too many of . my 
patients are n’t dying ” — 

Are there any of them dying?” 
asked Polly in a low, hushed tone. 

Dying to see me ! ” chuckled the fat 
old doctor, laughing at her big eyes. ^^No, 
thank you, ma’am, they are all very com- 
fortable this morning. Not a ^ dangerous ’ 
case among ’em. I’ll let you get out ^a 
little few minutes,’ if you want to when 
we get along to a good place.” 

By and by they came to a sunny, open 
space where Polly was sure she could see 
the pretty vines of the Mitchella creeping 
101 



DOCTOR 

WINKY 




The Christmas Cat 


round the foot of some trees, and the doc- 
tor obligingly came to a halt and let her 
get out. 

You hold the cat/’ said Polly, putting 
him in Doctor Varney’s lap for safe-keep- 
ing. ^^He ’s a little rascal, and is just 
arbound to run away, and papa says he 
will not give out any more notices from 
the pulpit about him, if he never comes 
back.” 

Did he ever do that ? ” laughed the 
doctor. 

Well, he did n’t igg-zactly mean to, but 
he got a-reading it before he noticed that I 
wrat it. Do n’t see anything the matter 
about that, anyway, if he did. All it said 
was, ‘Would the commogation please be 
kind enough to see if any of ’em had got 
Polly Plummer’s cat.’ There was some 
more to it, but when he got as far as that 
he stopped and would n’t read any more, 
but just glared down into our pew, and all 


102 


The Christmas Cat 


1 

the people giggling and stuffing handker- /*' ^ ‘T 
chiefs and things. I wish ’t he ’d gone 
along and said some more of it, for it told DOCTOR 
just who ’t was he followed home on a WiNKY 
bicycle, and the young man ’at was with^ 
her and all about it, and I should ’a’ got< 
my kitty back a lots quicker if he had, but 'j 
he did n’t. Papa ’s real cranky ’bout some| 
things.” 

Oh, glory ! ” laughed the doctor, lean-i 
ing back and shaking so that Winky was 
disgusted and made a flying leap over the \ 
dashboard, not being at all used to suchj 
an uneasy resting-place. Wish I ’d beenj 
there to hear! Well, you get 'your berries j 
now, young woman, or somebody ivill be] 
dying — of old age — before I get there to | 
see what ails them. I ’ll give you just five I 
minutes by the watch — be off with you ! ’ 

Polly had n’t anything to get the berries * 
in but her pocket, but being hard and dry 
they do not make as much trouble in 




The Christmas Cat 



WINKY 


pocket as some other kinds of berries, and 
by the time the doctor clicked bis watcb- 
DOCTOR cover and cried, Time ’s np ! ” she had a 
nice little handful, and a spicy bunch of 
cbeckerberry leaves besides, plucked while 
she was poking around among the dry 
moss and vines after the berries. 

Like some pippins ? ” she asked, hold- 
ing up some of the tender young reddish 
stems as she nestled down beside him. 
Winky was placed between the two for 
safe-keeping. The doctor had his reins and 
whip in hand, but he bent his head sidewise 
and took a nip at her offering, and said it 
made him think of the days when he went 
barefoot. 

After that the horse trotted along mer- 
rily, till they came out at the other edge of 
the woods into a straggling village, and on 
and on to where the houses grew thicker, 
and then turned into a wide cobble-paved 
driveway which wound up and around be- 
104 





The Christmas Cat . . 

63 

tween rows of sliady trees to a square brick 


building with a front like a factory, there 


were so many windows in it. DCXITOR 

What a lot of windows ! ” said Polly, WINKY 
as they stopped in front of the long flights 
of steps. 

Lots of sunshine,'’ answered the doctor. 

“ That ’s what you want in a children’s 
hospital.” 

Is that what you brought me for ? ” 
asked Polly, joyously. 

^^Just exactly!” nodded the doctor, 
glancing at her as he hitched his horse, and 
pulled the netting to protect flank and back 
from the flies and mosquitoes. I ’m go- 
ing to take you into the accident ward, w 
Keep that face on you, and you and your 
cat will be a godsend.” 

’Most all stairways and entries, is n’t 
it?” whispered Polly, skipping softly by 
the doctor’s side, as he went puffing along 
with her chubby hand clasped tight round 


^7 



The Christmas Cat 



what by courtesy you might have called 
his little” finger. 

DOCTOR We ’ll get to something else by and 
p-WINKY by/’ he panted, cheerfully. To the right 

vj!t , are.” 

Rows of little, white, narrow beds ; rows 
little, round, black, brown and yellow 
heads ; white-capped, bib-aproned nurses, 
standing around here and there, or walking 
y/‘ k up and down the aisles between the beds — 

/ //i >|: ■ ^ 5.--, .^vc \ 

V ^his was what Polly saw when the doctor 
^ ^ open the door and came into the big, 

i i sunny, many-windowed room that seemed 

"P instantly sunnier and brighter as it echoed 
I 1 \ ^ to his jolly, Good-morning.” That word 
from Dr. Yarney, somehow, always sounded 
like a congratulation, so that you felt all 
at once what a beautiful world it is, and 
what a happy person you ought to be to be 
alive in it. Dr. Yarney believed in sun- 
shine, for mind and soul and body, and if 
he did n’t find windows enough in your 
106 



The Christmas Cat 


house when he came to see you, he advised 
you to knock a hole in the wall somewhere || 
and make one. He helped build this hospi- DCXTTOR 
tal himself, so of course there were windows WINKY 
enough. He had awnings at all of them 
— gay green-and-white ones — that kept 
the glare out, but all over and all through 
and everywhere there was the beautiful, 
sweet light that God made on purpose for 
people to get well in. There was a general 
bobbing up of heads as he entered. 

Hi-you ! ” he said, gaily, pinching the 
nose of one brown-faced little fellow with 
an arm in a sling, but nothing else the 
matter with him. What do you look so 
glum for when I come in, eh? Anybody 
been giving you pickle-limes ? ” Your head 
belongs on the pillow, bub ! ” to another 
whose bandage showed that he had hurt 
his forehead and the top of his head in 
some way. ^^Kick up your heels, if you 
want to, but keep that end quiet. Well, 

107 



The Qiristmas Cat 

"how ’s the little broken footsy- 

tootsy?'' 

The last words were spoken in the ten- 
fHliWINKY derest, mother-y voice as the doctor stooped 
’ beside a bed where a baby-faced little thing 

lay watching him with big black-velvet 
eyes, and a mouth serious enough to have 
belonged to her grandmother. 

It aches ! " she cried, pitifully, tr3dng 
to move the poor little bandaged foot, and 
then bursting out in a long, quivering wail 
when she found she could n't. 

The doctor beckoned to Polly over his 
shoulder, and the next minute Winky 
dropped down on the pillow beside the 
crying child, and began to purr with all 
his might and main, as if he knew that 
was what he was put there for. 

The sobs stopped short, and the black- 
velvet eyes opened in amazement. Two 
little arms crept softly up and twined 
around Winky’s fuzzy neck. 

108 


The Christmas Cat 


He ’s saying ‘ Poor ’ to you ! ” said 
Polly, delightedly, looking under the doc- 
tor’s arm and beaming on her. ^^Hear 
him : ^ Poor f poor I poor ! ’ He wants WINKY 
to say, ^ Poor little girl ! I ’m sorry ! ’ ” 

Polly’s tone was so loving and comfort- 
ing that the shy little thing did not shrink 
away from her as she did from most people, 
even the nurses, but she tightened her grasp 
on Winky as if she were afraid Polly 
might take him away from her. 

No,’’ said Polly, as the doctor moved 
away, satisfied to let Polly manage this 
case ” for the present, I won’t take him, 
oh, not for a long and long time. I guess 
the doctor ’s got a lot of other rooms to 
go in, and I ’m just going to stay in this 
one. I ’m your visitor. Will you like to 
have me ? ” 

The black-velvet eyes looked at her 
solemnly, but the child nodded two or three 
times, so Polly was satisfied. 

109 





The Christmas Cat 


Would you like to have me leave my 
kitten to hold in your arms a little while ? 
doctor name ’s Winky/' 

plWINKY Another nod, and a tighter clasp that 
lUjil almost stopped the cat’s purring, but no 

language. 

Polly laughed, and putting her hand in 
her pocket drew out two bright red berries 
which she put gently into one of the tight 
little fists. As the child saw what they 
were, the first smile appeared on her poor 
little drawn face, and a dimple in her left 
cheek played hide-and-seek for a moment. 
That was thanks enough for Polly, and 
she turned to look around the big room 
and see who else needed comforting. A 
little way off was a poor fellow with his 
face pretty much all covered over with 
neat strips of court-plaster, very necessary, 
doubtless, but not at all improving to his 
beauty. Near him was a two-or-three-y ear- 
old child, not crying, but looking as if she 
110 



JJ^OULT) YOU LIKE TO HAVE ME LEAVE MY KITTEN 
TO HOLD IN YOUR ARMS A LITTLE WHILE 



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had been, and was going to again. Polly 
crossed over. 

You poor boy ! ” she said, in a soft DOCTOR 
voice of pity, her eyes full of real tears. WINKY 
She thought how bad she should feel if 
that was Wally. 

The boy turned his head away as far as 
his hurt cheek would let him, and said, 
“Yah-yaliV like a snarly little tiger-cat. 

Teak like you do when you laugh ! ’’ 
piped the baby on the next cot, wistfully. 

‘^You laughed to her pointing with one 
tiny finger over to the other little girl with 
the cat, from whom Polly had just turned 
away. 

That minute Polly received her first val- 
uable lesson in nursing. Pity is the last 
thing on earth that a sick person wants or 
ought to have given him. Laugh ! Look 
happy! Be just as much like a stray sun- 
beam as the good Lord gives you power. 

Then speak like you do when you laugh,’’ 

111 



The Christmas Cat 


and children will cry for you ” as if you 
were a new kind of patent soothing-syrup. 
1 doctor Try it, if you do n’t believe me, the next 
INKY time anybody has the mumps or the dumps 
at your house. 

Polly had the kind of genius that is good 
at taking hints. She drew up her mouth- 
corners and said in her brightest voice, 
Guess what I ’ve got in my pocket for 
• you.” 

Candy,” said the little one. The scowly 
boy near by let his eyes look toward her 
with interest. 

Guess again ! ” 

A doll ! ” 

Pills ! ” said Polly, giggling. Little 
red pills ! I ’m a doctor and you ’ve got 
to take just what I give you ! ” 

Pills did n’t sound bad in that funny 
voice, and both children looked as if they 
expected something nice when she put her 
hand again in her pocket. 

112 



The Christmas Cat 


Here are ten pills/’ she said, counting 
out ten red berries into the little one’s 
hand. To be taken one at a time just DCXTOR 
whenever you feel like it ! ” WINKY 

The baby laughed, and shook her red 
pills gleefully from one hand to the other, 
while Polly turned with a gay smile to the 
boy on the other bed. 

Want some ? ” 

Yes,” he said, gruffly, and she served! 
him in the same way with ten dainty little! 
doses, which in spite of directions he gulpedi 
at one swallow in utter disregard of con-' 
sequences. Polly laughed again, and satj 
down a minute on the foot of the cot toj 
tell him where she got them, and what aS 
lovely ride they had through the woods, 
and how she saw a red squirrel run up a ^ 
tree, and about the squalling cat-bird that ^ 

made her cat afraid, so that he ran to her / V 
The boy was interested and would probably 
have looked pleasant in the course of time. 




The Christmas Cat 


if she could have stayed long enough ; but 
she had other patients to visit, and at least 



DOCTOR half a pocketful of berries. 


^INKY At last the doctor came back, and to- 
gether they went to coax away Dr. Winky, 
who had given all his valuable attention 
that morning to one patient. She did not 
cry when she had to give him up, for Polly 
promised that she would come again next 
week, and anybody that looked at Polly 
could see written all over her face in big- 
primer letters, This girl tells the truth.” 
So nobody had the least doubt that what 
she said she would do, she would do. 

While the doctor sat down a minute to 
examine the poor little hurt foot, Polly 
walked up and down the long ward past 
let almost every one have a 
and then she came back 


he little one with one more 
before she took Dr. Yar- 


walked with many a back- 
114 



The Christmas Cat 

ward look and smile out of the accident 
ward of the big hospital. Then they rode 
home to dinner by the cool woods road, 
and somehow the ride this time seemed 
happier than the one going in the morning. 




V 

DcxrroR 

WINKY 


115 




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A BEAUTIFUL BIRTHDAT 




CHAPTER VIII 


A Beautiful Birthday 



KINGS looked strange to 
Polly as the doctor set 
her down at her own door, 
and waited a minute while 
she unlatched the white 
gate and waved a grateful 
good-bye to him. She never remembered 
seeing the house trimmed up so. 

Looks just like Fourth of July or a 
lawn-party ! ’’ she decided, and ran round 
to the back door to get Mandy to explain. 
Strings of gay-colored lanterns ran across 
the long piazzas, a little white tent was 
pitched in the side-yard, the croquet set was 
out, the tennis-net stretched, and a new 
hammock hung under the apple-tree. 





The Christmas Cat 



Something ’s happened, Mandy ! she 
called, in great curiosity. ‘‘ Do tell me 
A what it is ! '' 

BEAUTIFUL Tom ’s happened, and Margery,” said 
BIRTHDAY coming to the door in an excited 

state of mind, and flourishing the carv- 
ing-knife in her right hand in a way 
that might have been startling to some 
people. 

Tom — and Margery ! ” repeated Polly, 
stupidly. I thought Tom was teetering 
down in Maine ” — 

Tutoring, I suppose you mean,” in- 
terrupted Mandy. 

And as for Margery, all I Ve got to say 
is, if she ’s come, she 's gone and told a regu- 
lar whippety-whopper, for she wrote to 
^ ; 'mother in her very i-denti-cal last letter that 
/she should come home, if it's a possible 
thing, for my hirihday, and here it is ” — 
Here it is your birthday. Your mother 
said you 'd forgot it.” 

118 


-'■■vA'n 



I 


The Christmas Cat 


BIRiTHDAY 


Why, Mandy Meeker ! Do you really, 
truly, honestly mean that it ’s my birthday ? 

The twenty-ninth of June ? I thought 
’t was n’t till next week, Monday ! ” BEAUTIFUL 

Stid o’ which, it ’s this week, Friday. 

I ’ve always heard Friday was an unlucky 
day.” 

Unlucky ! ” cried Polly. Calling my 
birthday unlucky ! With a father and 
mother and two brothers and a sister, and 
you and the cat ! And then Dr. Varney and 
young Mr. Varney, and just ’bout a million 
more other folks that love me ! You ’re just 
^ pretend cross,’ Mandy Meeker, and it 
doesn’t worry me a bit, ’cause I know 
you ’ve just likely as not got some beauti- 
ful s’prise or other tucked away in your 
pantry for my birthday. That ’s a way 
with you when you make believe cross at 
me 1 ” 

There, get out with you, you chunk o’ 
blarney stone ! ” cried Mandy, looking as 
119 





The Christmas Cat 


guilty as if she thought Polly could see 
through the wall of grocery packages which 
A she had built around a certain big, round 
marshmallow frosting on it, and 
ten enticing little pink and white candles 
set in rosebud sconces all around the edge. 
In the middle was a larger one to grow 
on.” Polly was innocent, however, and 
only spoke out of her own happy conscious- 
ness of a worldful of friends. She had 
never dreamed of such a thing as anybody 
not loving her. 

All this while mother had been invisible, 
which was quite an unusual thing in the 
Plummer house when father or any of the 
children came home to it. No matter if 
she was at the top of the house, down she 
came, and somebody was always the 
gladder for her coming. Polly began to 
wonder all of a sudden what was the 
matter. 

Mother! Where ’s mother?” she called, 
120 



The Christmas Cat 


running up-stairs and all over the house to 
find her. 

No mother up here ! ” she cried, half- 
frightened. No Wally, either, nor Tom 
nor Margery nor anybody that ought to be 
in a house when a little girl comes home to 
it ! You tell me, now, somebody ! You ’ll 
get me mad, first thing you know ! ” 

A little stamp of her foot emphasized 
this last thrilhng warning, which, however, 
did not seem as impressive as it might 
have been if the foot had been bigger. A 
hearty laugh at the foot of the stairs put 
an end to Polly’s little private theatricals, 
and she took a flying leap into her father’s 
arms as he stood waiting at his study door. 

“ Come round to the back of the house,” 
he said, taking her hand. “ Seems to me 
I heard a bell ringing.” 

It was the loveliest place for a dinner- 
table. A great spreading apple-tree swept 
a circle of branches clear to the ground. 



I 


121 


The Christmas Cat 


making a natural arbor. Somebody, since 
morning, bad fixed a strong stationary 
A table, with long settee-seats on all sides 
BEAUTIFUL of it; and over these somebody else had 
placed gay, comfortable cushions, and upon 
these same seats were sitting at that 






jy, blessed moment four of the people she 

best in the world, all beaming on 
s^f^ihev with the jolliest faces, and all looking 
birthday signal which belonged 
rights to every Plummer birthday. 

^ said papa, in a mighty voice, 

, looking and nodding at mother to con- 


0 ! ” said mamma. 

L ! ” shouted Wally, who sat next, 
h ! echoed Tom, heartily. 

said Margery, trying to look sur- 
enough to match her letter. 

POLLY ! shouted everybody all to- 
ither, even Mandy joining in, as she came 




with a big stufied baked fish on a 





The Christmas Cat 


platter, all trimmed with little bunches of 
green parsley, and delectable yellow slices 
of lemon. This was Polly’s favorite dish, Al 

six days in the week and Sunday, so of BEAUTIFUL 

^ ^ BIRTHDAY 

course mother ordered it tor her birthday. 

A laugh came when Winky, scared by 
such a family demonstration, joined his 
howl to the others, and disappeared in the 
friendly shelter of the tent. 

Polly was so happy she could n’t ex- 
press herself in any way but kisses. Tom 
got his full share, and then it was Mar- 
gery’s turn. Dear Margery, who was so 
dainty and darling, and spoke always in 
a softly ” voice that made you think 
she was just too gentle to live in this 
world, anyway, and yet, as Mandy said, 

“ ruled that school in Sharon as if she 
were six feet tall, with a voice according.” 

Polly knew the sweetness, and cuddled 
up to her, and was n’t afraid of the stern- 



ness. 


123 


The Christmas Cat 


You and the like of you never ’ll see 
it,” said Mandy. 

A Polly came in the wild rose month, so 

BEAUTIFUL Qf course everythin^ had wild roses for 
BIRTHDAY , . , 

decoration. W hen the hsh course was 

through, the table was cleared, all but a 

big ring or wreath of wild roses that 

Margery and Tom fetched from the tent 

A. and set on the middle of the white cloth. 

^•.^^Then Mandy appeared with her big white 

^x./^^cake (baked in a milk-pan), and all hands 






^’helped to lower it carefully to its place of 
honor in the middle of the ring. Then 
they all stood and sang a little song (com- 
J posed by Tom for the occasion) beginning. 

Here ’s to Polly, 

^ Gay and jolly, 

V(^% We^re so glad that she is ten ! 


So ’m I ! ” chimed in Polly, fervently, 
and then they all laughed, and after that 
the song didn’t amount to much. But 
124 


BIRTHDAY 


The Christmas Cat 

the presents did, and every one, as usual, 
was ^^just the very i-den-ti-cal thing she 
wanted most/' /^T 

Polly is the most everlastingly grate- BEAUTIFUL 
fill little thing ! " laughed Tom. I be- 
heve if anybody were to present her with 
a snapping-turtle, she would find out that 
it was the very thing she had been pining 
for — ^honest Injun,' too; no make-believe 
about Polly ! " 

At last the feast was through, even the 
dishes of strawberries and cream that it 
topped off " with, and then Tom took his 
little sister in tow " as he expressed it, and 
they began a long walk-and-talk," as they 
had done for years and years, whenever he 
came home from college or an3rwhere. 

Take a stroll, Polly ? " 

Let 's have a ramble, Tom ! " 

We both spoke together ! " giggled 
Polly. ^^You want a roll, and I want a 
stramble ! " 



125 


The Christmas Cat 


A 

BEAUTIFUL 
‘ BIRTHDAY 



^^Stramble it is, then ! ” said Tom, hooking 
her short arm into his long one, and starting 
off on an exploring tour round the place. 

Wally, who knew what was up, tagged 
after them like a little dog. He was so 
full of little chuckles and giggles over what 
he knew she would soon be finding that 
Tom shook his fist at him behind his back, 
and when that did n’t do any good turned 
square round and made up the most aston- 
ishing face, all puckers and wrinkles and 
black eyebrows, a face fit to make anybody 
look like that king of England who never 
smiled again. 

All at once Polly lifted her eyes and saw 
a green-painted sign nailed to the outstand- 
ing limb of a gnarly old apple-tree growing 
in the side-yard. 

^‘F-A-I-R-Y-L-A-N-D,” she spelled out, 
wonderingly. Well, I’d like to know — 
oh, my! do see the dear little steps up 
the tree ” — 


126 


The Christmas Cat 


I nailed ’em ! ” shrieked Wally. 

That ’s how my hammer and nails got 
rusted out in the rain, was it ? ” said father, 
who was also tagging.” 

^^And the little rooms up in all the 
branches,” said Polly. There ’s a kitchen, 
and my old black Dinah sweeping up the 
room ! Who did do such a cute, perfectly 
lovely thing ? ” 

Mamma helped some,” said Wally, gen- 
erously. But you Ve got to climb up it. 
You have n’t seen the parlor nor half the 
rooms yet.” 

’Course I ’ll climb,” said Polly ; but 
who painted that beautiful green sign? 
You never did that, Wally Plummer — or 
did you ? ” She was prepared to believe 
anything, eveiybody was so lovely to her, 
even though Wally had never been known 
to paint anything but his trousers, and he 
always did that when painting, no matter 
how big a piece of paper was given to him. 



127 


The Christmas Cat 



No, Mr. Mooney did that, but I held the 
nails while he hammered it,’^ said Wally, 
^ anxious to claim what credit belonged to 

BEAUTIFUL him. 

‘ V BIRTHDAY u ^ ^ man,” said Polly, 

gratefully. I ’ll tell you, Wally, let ’s 
you and I go and get a great, big, huge 
bouquet of the nicest flowers we can find, 
and go over to his house with a card 
on it marked, ^ A slight token of our 
appresheration' ” 

All right,” said Wally, ’ll help.” 

If you ’ll help, too, Tom,” said Polly, 
^^we shall do it a good deal more quick- 
erer.” 

I ? — oh, yes ! Or, let ’s see, little one ! 
I ’ve got to run up to the city on that 2.30 
train, and if I do n’t catch it I sha’ n’t 
get it.” 

0 Tom ! ” 

Now you need n’t go to ^ 0 Tom ’-ing, 
for you ’ve just got to stay with me and 
128 



The Christmas Cat 


play in your apple-tree house, now it ’s 
made ! ’’ cried Wally in alarm, remembering 
all at once the goodies stowed away in that 
apple-tree pantry. Mamma had helped him 
fix the cunningest httle wooden box with 
a sliding lid, and nobody else knew what 
delicious things were hidden in it. 

It would n’t be a bad way to end up 
her day,” said Tom, thoughtfully. I ’ve 
got to run into the pubhshing house and 
see if I can get the chance to send in some 
little things regularly this year again, same 
as I did last, you know.” 

Polly would bother. Better not try it.” 
’m not sure she would, mother. I 
won’t stop more than a minute or two, 
anyway. On with your hat, little sister, 
if mother is willing, and you and I will 
have a fine trip to celebrate.” 

Polly went hop-skipping up-stairs, sing- 
ing “ You and I, You and I ” to the tune 
of Lightly Kow,” and Margery might just 



129 


The Christmas Cat 


BIRTHDAY 



about as well have tried to dress a jumping- 
jack in full operation as her little sister 
^ Polly in her present state of mind. How- 
ever, a clean white dress was soon buttoned 
on to her somehow, and two whisks of the 
brush had to do for that day’s hair-dressing. 
In another minute her hat was on, and 
father had the horse harnessed for a ride 
to the station. 

What have you got in that bag ? ” 
asked Tom, eying the Boston bag that she 
carried on her arm. 

My handkerchief, and my money-purse, 
and a book to read.” 

What do you want of a book ! ” 
Travelers always have a book to read. 
It ’s when you get tired of the scenery.” 

Oh ! ” 


The car was hot and dusty, but Polly 
was furnished with an immense palm-leaf 
fan when the boy came through with a 
refreshing supply of them, and there was 
130 


The Christmas Cat 


the scenery, and the book in the bottom of 
her bag. Nothing troubled her, and Tom 
was uncomplaining, even when she brushed ^ 
the end of his nose with her fan, and BEAUTIFUL 
knocked his nice sharp pencil onto the BIRTHDAY 
floor and broke the point ofl, and begged 
half of his writing-pad for purposes of her 
own, and gave him a five-minute search for 
their tickets which she had fanned into the 
aisle and never noticed. For all that, he 
‘‘ drew the line ’’ at tickets, and kindly but 
firmly demanded the troublesome fan. She 
was just going to get her book out, when 
she noticed two children racing unsteadily 
up and down the aisle. They were having 
a good time, but their mother, with a little 
baby in her arms, was plainly anxious. 

Every time the car lurched, it seemed as if 
one or the other of them must pitch head 
first out of the open door. Suddenly the 
boy stopped and stared at Polly. She was 
holding up her two hands, the ten fingers 






131 


The Christmas Cat 


A 

BEAUTIFUL 
‘ BIRTHDAY 



twinkling invitingly in ten funny ruffs of 
white paper, made from what was left of 
Tom’s note-pad. 

Come on, Elizabuff ! ” the boy called, 
climbing up into the empty seat in front of 
him, and kneeling in it so as to face Polly. 
Le ’s see her put dresses on her fingers ! ” 
When the note-paper was gone, they 
used a yellow time-table that Tom found 
in his pocket, and then he obligingly tore 
long strips of newspaper and helped them 
make Jacob’s-ladders and lamplighters, 
which the children stuck all over their 
curls till they looked as if they had been 
playing the game of the Ten-Horned Am- 
bassador. Before they were tired of all 
this, the train gave a warning whistle, and 
people began gathering up bags and bun- 
dles, and the happy mother across the aisle 
beckoned her children back to her, and 
they were all at the end of their journey. 

Oh, I think traveling is beautiful!” 

132 


The Christmas Cat 


A 


BIRiTHDAY 


said Polly with a big sigh, as she trotted 
along by Tom’s side. Only, but I did n’t 
get to read my book any.” 

That ’s because you had so much 
scenery to attend to,” said Tom, dryly. 

I ’ll leave you here at the door a 
minute,” he said, as he signaled the eleva- 
tor which was to take him up to the 
editor’s office, while I run in and see 
Dr. Harvard two minutes, and then I’ll 
come right down for you. Wait here, 
that’s a good girl.” 

No, indeed, Tom ! ” said Polly, ear- 
nestly, clutching at him as he was about to 
disappear in the elevator, I ’ve heard too 
much about being carried off by brigands 
and things to let you go out of my sight in 
any such a place as this ! I ’m a-going 
with you.” 

Well, all right,” said Tom, haH-vexed, 
only I did n’t know you meant to stick 
to me like a porous plaster. Come along, 
133 



The Christmas Cat 


A 

BEAUTIFUL 
‘ BIRTHDAY 



dear. But remember, do n’t chatter to me 
or anybody. Editors are busy people and 
hate to be bothered.” 

Do you have to walk on your tippy- 
toes in a nedi tor’s office ? ” 

Well, so to speak!” said Tom, un- 
blushingly. 

What would they do to you if you 
should speak out loud ? ” 

^^Well, ’t is n’t best to try it. Yoii 
never can tell what an editor will do.” 

Thus prepared, Polly went into the 
office of the editor-in-chief with a heart 
that went pitapat, especially as her new 
boots ” would squeak in spite of her. 
There was nothing very ogreish about the 
room or its furnishing. As for the editor 
himself, all she could see of him was his 
back, and you can’t tell whether a man is 
cross or pleasant just by so much. Polly 
was frightened, but heroic. 

I won’t cry ! I won’t cry 1 ” she said 
134 


The Christmas Cat 


to herself, winking back the tears bravely 
and squeezing Toni’s finger so tight that 
he gave her a warm httle pressure back 
again. Mamma says httle girls and big BEAUTIFUL 

1 UW 1 /i .u ■ , . birithd'ay 

girls ought to learn to keep their tears tor 
the conclusion of their own room, but — 

I wish ’t I had n’t come to a neditor’s 
office ! ” 

Just then the editor turned round. 

Oh, ho, Mr. Plummer ! That you ? ” 
he said, cordially enough. “ We can use a 
few more of those ‘ True Incidents ’ such as 
you wrote us for our incident page. A 
package or so each month — well-worked- 
up things of that sort always welcome if 
they ’re what we — happen to want ! Ah, 
who ’s this? Your little sister? Ifere ’s a 
seat for you. Pussy ! ” 

A look at his face decided Polly to ac- 
cept his invitation, and the next minute 
she was sitting on his knee hearing all 
about his vacation, and how the children 
135 



The Christmas Cat 



had swarmed all over him/’ and called 
him the bow’n-arrer man/’ because in an 
^ evil hour he had made a bow and arrow 
Bi^UTffXJL for one httle fellow, who had published it 
abroad and brought him plenty of custom ; 
in proof of which he showed her his knife, 
one blade broken short oft in the service. 

So for three or four minutes, as if there 
were no such thing as business that a 
child might interfere with, then, with a pat 
and a push, he said, There, good-bye to 
you ! ” and she and Tom went out of the 
office, business and pleasure both attended 
to, and the world not more than five min- 
utes older. 

There ’s one. more office, Polly,” Tom 
said. You do n’t mind ? ” 

Oh, no, indeed ! ” chirped Polly. I 
like neditors. Come on ! ” she cried, catch- 
ing his hand and actually going into this 
second one with a hop-skip that would 
have scandalized her mother. 


136 


The Christmas Cat 

Much the same experience awaited her 
in this room. Polly found aU the people 
in her world good to her on her birthday. 

On the way home she gave Tom a piece 
of her mind. 

‘‘ I do n’t see where you spect to go to ! ” 
she observed, frankly. ‘‘ The whoppery 
things you told me ’bout neditors! Now 
I think your Dr. Harvard is awfully nice 
— petickelarly the way he puts his arm 
around you.” 

That other one showed you pictures.” 

Yes, they were the cutest pickshures ! 
He said he had a little girl at home not 
so big as me. He ’s quite a large man — 
at least, up-and-down ways. I do n’t know 
what it is exactly — something or other 
about them — I think you can always tell 
business men, somehow, they are apt to be 
so nice to children.” 



137 


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A “CHILDREN'S VISITOR 




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CHAPTER IX 


A "Children's Visitor^ 

LL the loDg afternoon 
Wally played lonesome- 
ly in the Apple-tree 
House, and wished Polly 
back. Twenty times 
he went to that temptr 
ing hidden cupboard 
and sniffed at the good bread-and-meat 
sandwiches, and then slid the cover on 
hard, resolved to wait till Polly could come 
and eat them with him. Except just one 
little nip of the end of a long stick of 
striped candy, he left the goodies all un- 
touched, and that is saying a good deal for 
greedy little Wally. Mandy often said that 
139 



The Christmas Cat 


A 

CHILDREN'S 

VISITORS 



Wally’s sweet tooth” made her ^^more 
trouble than all the rest of his upper-and- 
unders.” 

Toward night mother was glad to see a 
neighbor’s boy sidle up under the tree, and, 
after a httle talk, climb the queer, straggly 
ladder. Mrs. Plummer was always pleased 
when her boys and girls found other chil- 
dren to play with — the more the merrier ; 
and she never made too much parade of 
watching them, either. 

Good Christian boys and girls,” she 
used to say to them, ^^fit for Christian 
children to play with. That ’s enough to 
tell you. You know a good boy as far as 
you can see him — if you don’t, wait till 
he begins to talk. Then you can tell.” 

She settled herself comfortably to her 
sewing when she saw the two boys to- 
gether; but three or four minutes later, 
happening to look up, she saw the little 
visitor leaving very suddenly. He was 
140 


The Christmas Cat 


not exactly being kicked out by Wally, 
but that young gentleman was standing at 
the top of the tree-ladder with a look and 
gesture which were plainly threatening. 
The strange boy seemed to feel convinced 
that he would better get out of that tree 
as quickly as his short legs would let him. 

Mrs. Plummer rapped on the window 
with her thimble. 

What did you send him home for, 
Wally?’’ 

Wally held up three fingers solemnly. 

He swore three times in accession I ” he 
said, impressively. ’Course I ’d send him 
home after that ! ” 

Those poor little Price children ! ” 
sighed mamma to herself. But she did 
not say anything out loud to Wally just 
then. She hardly ever talked till she was 
ready to do something. 

The minute Polly came home, a little 
before sundown, Wally pounced on her to 
141 


The Christmas Cat 



come out to the Apple-tree House and have 
what he called a party/’ meaning things 
in the wooden box with the sliding cover. 
^CHILDREN'S On the way he told her about Jimmy 
Price, and the reason they were not play- 
0J ing together. Polly was halfway up the 
ladder, but she instantly began to move 
the other way, and in another minute was 
over the wall and running up the weedy 
walk to the Prices’ back door. 

Can Jimmy come over to our party? ” 
she asked, breathlessly. ^^It’s out in the 
apple-tree, and there ’s samwidges and 
cookies and a little saucer pie apiece, for 
I do n’t want any ! ’’ 

P’rhaps ! I dunno. If the baby do n’t 
want to be pacified. I do n’t know but he 
can. You can go ask him. He ’s in the 
front room there.” 

Will you, Jimmy ? ” asked Polly, in her 
coaxy ” tone. She had seen his yellow 
head at the crack of the door, and knew 
142 


The Christmas Cat 

that she did not need to repeat her invi- 
tation. 

Dunno. Wally won’t want me to.” 

^^0 Jimmy! what did you and Wally 
get to squabbling over? You ’re always 
at it.” 



VISITOR" 


“ I sweared a swear.” 

I know it,” said Polly, as honest as he 
was. But, Jimmy, you ’re aioful sorry, 
are n’t you ? And you would n’t do it 
again for ten million dollars, would you? 
Say yes — oh, please do ! — for I want you 
so much to come to our party, and of 
course I can’t ask anybody that Haketh 
His name in vain,’ and you ’re such good 
fun that I can’t leave you out, either ! 
Now say you ’re sorry ! ” 

Jimmy nodded. ’Course,” he said, and 
Polly was satisfied. So was mother when 
she called Polly to the window and heard 
all about it. 

^^Got to go home and pacify the baby 
143 


The Christmas Cat 


A 

^CHILDREISPS 



now ! said Jimmy, gruffly, when they had 
eaten up most of the party,” and the 
sunset was fading. 

Is she sick ? ” asked Polly. 

No, just plain cross. She ’s got some 
teeth coming.” 

Poor httle thing ! ” 

Jimmy scowled and kicked something. 

A fellow can’t go anywheres, ball 
games nor swimming nor anything, when 
he has to tend a baby.” 

0 Jimmy ! ” cried Polly, clapping her 
hands suddenly, would n’t you like — 
would n’t your mother like — to have 
somebody come in some afternoon and play 
with the baby, so you could be let ofE and 
go and do what you ’re a mind to ? ” 

Did once. Called herself a Lady Vis- 
itor. But the baby squalled every minute.” 

She would n’t cry with me,” said Polly. 

I ’d be a ^ Children’s Visitor ! ’ Is n’t 
that a nice name ? I never thought of it 
144 


The Christmas Cat 

before. Winky ’s got a new name. The 
doctor gave it to him. He is the doctor’s 
assistant, you know. So he calls him 
^ Doctor Winky. ’ But I have n’t had any ^CHILDREN'S 
name. I Uke this one.” VISITOR" 

Wish ’t you ’d come every day in the 
week,” said Jimmy, frankly. And begin 
to-morrow.” 

^^Well, I will pretty often,” promised 
Polly. But, you see. Dr. Varney comes 
a good many days, and then I go where he 
wants me.” 

Dr.^ Varney was much pleased with the 
name Polly had found or invented for her- 
self, and adopted it very seriously. The 
tired mothers with teething babies, as well 
as the long-suffering nurses in the weary 
hospital ward, began to call her by it. 

Polly and her cat came to be as much 
depended on as the doctor himself. The 
only trouble was there were too many of 
the children sick and ailing at once. 

145 



The Christmas Cat 


There is n’t enough of me to go round,” 
said Polly, telling the girls, Dorothy and 
A Susie and the others, about it one day 
^ CHILDREN'S when they were playing out in the Apple- 


VISITOR^ 


o 




tree House. 

^^How do you do it?” asked Dorothy. 

Why can’t we help ? ” 

Oh, you could, lovely ! I guess that 
little expressman’s boy would be glad if 
you would take turns going to see him, 
one of us every day of the week. He is so 
lonesome ! And I know his mother would. 
Last week I went and read him a story, 
and dressed Winky up in dolly-clothes and 
had fun a whole afternoon, and his mother 
got a chance to do a whole big washing. 
I ’m making a scrap-book for him. Do n’t 
you want to help? Mandy will let us 
have the dining-room table, and make us 
some paste, if we promise to clear up after- 
wards.” 

The girls thought it would be great fun, 
146 


The Christmas Cat 

and all scrambled down, and in a few min- 
utes were busy as bees at the useful new 
play Polly had suggested. First, each 
chose the particular kind of scrap-book she 
would make. 

‘^Mine’s going to be a menagerie one,” 
said Dotty; ^^cows and horses and little 
squealy pigs and hens and ducks and dogs 
and elephants and hippitypotamases.” 

^^Well, then, you can have all the 
^ Dumb Animals ’ to cut up. Susie and I 
will choose some other kind.’* 

^‘And I want to choose some ’nother 
kind ! ” cried Wally in a shrill voice of 
injury. 

Of course. How would you like carts 
and carriages — every sort of team there 
is in the world ? His father is an express- 
man, and I should think he would like that 
kind of a scrap-book most better than any 
other kind.” 

All right. Is a wheelbarrow a cart or 
147 




VISITOR" 





The Christmas Cat 






a carriage ? I want a nanght3anobile to 
begin witb.” 

You can find any quantity of ’em in 

^CHILDREN^S tbis catalogue I found in papa’s waste- 

VisiTOR^ 

basket. Wbat you going to take, Susie ? ” 

I ^ I ’m going to make a house. Give a 
I room to a page and cut out furniture from 
the advertisements — oh, you will see ! 

Is n’t that beautiful ! And now I ’m 
going to beat the whole lot of you ! Give 
me what you have left, will you? Any 
old thing anybody else does n’t want just 
fits in for me. I am going to have a 
country store of my scrap-book. Papa was 
reading a story to mamma last night, and 
he read about one that had everything in 
it, from a humming-bird to a second-hand 
pulpit ; and that ’s what mine is going to 
be. And here is the storekeeper, and here 
are some customers. I ’m going to stand 
them all around the store, looking at 
things, and outside — this is the piazza 
148 



The Christmas Cat 

page — there will be some funny-looking 
farmer-men sitting on old barrels and 
tipped-up chairs, just the way they do 
down to Mr. Asa’s at the Corners. Won’t ^ CHILDREN'S 
it be fun? See who will get most done 
before supper.” 

This was the beginning of a regular 
scrap-book mission. People had made 
scrap-books before, but not just like these. 

When Margery came in and saw what they 
were up to, she brought out a pile of old 
magazines and set to work to help them, 
and the next day Tom paid a visit to a big 
furniture store and begged all their sample 
catalogues with fine, large illustrations of 
every sort of chair and table and sofa and 
cook-stove that ever went into a house. 

Susie had enough to make a dozen scrap- 
book houses. For Dotty, there were some 
old animal books up in the attic which 
were all in tatters, and they helped her 
menagerie out amazingly. Even Wally 
149 



The Christmas Cat 


VISITOR »» 




/"I.' t 


was not forgotten, for an envelope came 
to him by mail from some unknown source 
^ containing dozens of teams ’’ for his 
^CHILDREN'S livery-stable. Tom looked as surprised 
when they were shown to him as if he 
had never seen a carriage before. 

While they were still busy at the scrap- 
books, and long before they had any idea 
of getting tired of them. Doctor Varney 
came to get Polly and . her cat to make 
another visit to the Children’s Hospital. 
To-morrow ? That ’s the Fourth of 
I ^ July ! ” said Polly, thinking of a plan she 
and Tom had talked over for next day’s 
' celebration. 

I know it,” said the doctor. See 
Iwhat I ’ve got to stick up at the head of 
i each bed ! ” 

He opened a package and shook out a 
|!gay bundle of flags, all the same size, not 
too big for weak httle folks to handle. 
The “ Ohs ! ” and the Ahs ! ” that came 
150 



The Christmas Cat 


from Polly and her friends seemed to fnlly 
satisfy him. 

Thought you would like ’em/’ he said, 
rolhng them up again. ^^Who wants to 
go and help distribute?” 

“ 0 Doctor Varney ! could anybody go 
but Polly? We thought she was the 
^ Children’s Visitor.’ ” 

So she is — the only real original. 
And Dr. Winky is my first assistant. But 
that does n’t hinder her having any num- 
ber of helpers. I borrowed a ^ democrat ’ 
on purpose to take you all in.” 

You must n’t go empty-handed,” said 
Margery, when the doctor had gone. 

Make them have a beautiful Fourth of 
July, with something to keep to remember 
it by. Polly says there are nineteen little 
children in the ward where she goes. Look 
over all your playthings, and see if you 
cannot find nineteen pretty gifts for them.” 

^^All Fourth of July things?” 

151 


The Christmas Cat 






« Why, perhaps ! Little toy drums ’’ — 
Things to make a noise ? ” 

No, I would n’t. But there are such 
^CHILDREN'S cunning little red-white-and-blue souvenirs, 
VISrroR^ do n’t you know, and perhaps you can find 
t ^ little candy-boxes and tie them with red- 
/// 'I white-and-blue ribbon. Such things will 
be better for sick children than pistols and 
firecrackers.” 

Margery Elizabeth Plummer ! ” 

^^Well, dear?” said Margery, smiling at 
Polly’s earnestness. 

I ’ve got nineteen cents, all my own ! ” 
That ’s a good deal of money.” 

And there are just nineteen boys and 
girls in that room. Now if that is n’t a 
providence ! You can buy nineteen striped 
red-and-white sticks of candy for a cent 
apiece, and tie a little knot of blue ribbon 
on the end, and there ’s a Fourth-o’-July 
present for every single one ! ” 

What a nice, bright idea ! ” said Mar- 
152 


The Christmas Cat 



gery, smiling at Polly’s notion of a provi- 
dence.” “ You can just do it with your 
nineteen cents, for I have a lot of blue 

ribbon up-stairs that I will give you, and ^CHILDREN'S 
^ ° . VISITOR ^ 

you can all go and get the candy right off, 

and come back and tie the ribbons to-night. 

I will give you a nice box to carry them 
in. You want to get every single thing 
done to-night that you can do, so as to be 
all ready when Dr. Varney comes for you. 

It would n’t be right to keep him waiting, 
and, besides, he would n’t wait for you ! ” 

When Dr. Varney did come next morn- 
ing, they were all ready and waiting. 

You may have the flags 1 ” the doctor 
told Wally. I ’ll go round with you 
when we get there and help you put them 
in their places. Here, Susie, is a box of 
nobody-knows-what that I expect they will 
all be flghting over, because the playthings 
are all different, and every blessed child of 
the lot will think he wants some other one 
153 


The Christmas Cat 


A 

"CHILDREN'S 

VISITOR." 



than the one you Ve given him. No matter. 
That 's your lookout. I wash my hands 
of the whole business. Use your judgment 
— the best you ’ve got — and then see that 
they keep the peace over it. Dotty, child, 
what is there for you to distribute ? Oh, I 
see ! Polly has turned over her striped 
^ providences ’ to you. That ’s all right, 
Polly ! You need n’t go to blushing over 
it if Margery did tell me. The ones to 
blush are the blind people who have eyes, 
yet never see any ^ providences.’ Now are 
you all ready? Hold on, what has little 
Polly wog to carry for her own part of the 
program ? Oh, the cat ! — Dr. Winky. He 
is worth more than all the rest of it put 
together. And a patriotic ribbon, I declare ! 
Tie a knot of it on his tail, why do n’t 
you ? I would ! ” 

She ’s come ! she ’s come ! ” 

“ The kitty-girl has come ! ” 

My first ! ” 


154 


The Christmas Cat 



No, me ! ’’ 

These were some of the cries and whis- 


pers which ran from cot to cot as Polly fol- 

lowed the doctor into the big white room ^CHELDREN'S 

with the little white beds in it. The sight 

of the other children made them a little 

shy at first, but when Wally began to shake 

out the pretty flower-flags,” as the Chinese 

call them, and when Dotty handed round the 

sticks of candy, and when Susie took the 

cover off the plaything-box, nobody could 

feel bashful or anything but interested any 

more. Some of the children leaned half 

way out of their beds to see what was 

going on, and it was pretty to hear their 

little squeals and gurgles of delight when 

their own particular presents were handed 

out to them. Fighting? Not a bit of it! 

They were all too happy to fight. One 
great part of the pleasure was not to have 
the presents all alike, for then there was 
the fun of comparing. 


155 


The Christmas Cat 


A 

CHILDREN'S 

VISITOR 

*2 



The doctor stood near the door looking 
down the long room, with its rows of beds 
and the fluttering flags above them. There 
were all sorts and kinds of children there 
— yellow-haired little German babies, two 
or three olive-skinned Italians, a little 
Polish boy with a queer name, over in the 
bed next to the wall. Swedes and EngHsh 
and Americans and Irish. The doctor 
looked at the black and brown and yellow 
heads, and something in his throat seemed 
to hurt him. This was their part in the 
blessings of a free country. To his thought 
the waving flower-flags seemed promising 
care and protection. 

How many know ^ America ’ ? ” he 
called out suddenly. 

Everybody in the room was saying I,” 
or it sounded like it. 

Sing it ! ” commanded the doctor. 

All over the room it began, in the queer 
little shaky voices: ^^My country, ’tis of 


156 


The Christmas Cat 


VISITORS' 


thee ! ” The doctor could not stand a J 

great deal of it. He stopped it presently, 
and set them to singing Star-spangled 
Banner ” and other tunes, Polly leading o:ff, 
with the others to help, as long as they 
had breath to sing. Little Black-eyes with 
the hurt foot seemed to like the sound of 
the singing. As long as they stayed, they 
would hear her break out now and then, as 
she M^aved her tiny flag. 


^‘’Tis the ’tar-pangled bangle, 
Oh, long may it wave ! ” 


But the best of it came at the last, as it 
ought to. Polly never told the doctor 
what Tom had put into her hand at start- 
ing. She lifted the cover just enough to 
peek,’’ and the sight made her hold her 
breath with delight. The trouble with 
carrying a cunning little kitty to amuse 
sick children was that the little sick chil- 
dren cried so when it had to go away. 

157 


The Christmas Cat 


A 

^CHILDREN'S 

VISITOR'" 



Polly had told Tom about this. He looked 
thoughtful, but did not make any answer 
just then. When he went to the city a 
few days afterward, he brought home with 
him a Brownie camera, and the little box 
held a score or so of the cutest’’ little 
cat-pictures you ever dreamed of. So as 
the children said good-bye after their beau- 
tiful Fourth-of-July visit that day, Polly 
softly slipped a picture of Winky into each 
tiny hand. When the nurses went the 
rounds that night to see if all were sleep- 
ing, more than one hot little wasted fist 
still clutched the picture tightly. 

“ It ’s something to hold, you see, Tom,” 
explained Polly, as she thanked him. 
^^You know you always have to have 
something to go to sleep with. I take my 
stone dog and my Bible and your pickshure 
— the one in the red velvet frame — and 
a few of my dolls, of course not all of 
them, and ” — 


158 


The Christmas Cat 

Does anybody else sleep with you, my 
dear?” 

^^Well, Margery, when she is home. 

But she userally clears her side out a little ^ CHILDREN'S 
'fore she gets into it.” VISITOR'^ 



159 




AN INTERRUPTION 


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CHAPTER X 


An Interruption 

OBODY ever knew just how 
it happened. Polly was up 
in the tree cuddling the cat, 
as usual, and talking — also 
as usual. If anybody ever 
saw Polly when she was n’t 
talking, it must have been 
when she was asleep. 

^^Next week school be- 
gins, and then where will 
you be ? There won’t be any Httle Polly- 
mamma to play with you, and make poke 
bonnets of your ears and see that the old 
tiger-cats do n’t get you. Polly will be all 
gone away off, and — oh, say, Mandy, have 
you begun to think about lunch-boxes ? 

16 X 



The Christmas Cat 


AN 


INTER* 

RUFTION 



You know school begins Monday, and I ’m 
a sixth-grader ! ’’ 

Humph ! ” said Mandy, who was out 
picking up apples for an apple-pie; “all 
I Ve got to say is, I hope sixth-graders 
do n’t get up any bigger appetites than 
fifth-graders. You kept me cooking all 
last year solid.” 

“ I ’ll make you out a list,” said Polly, 
beginning to scramble down to a lower 
limb where she kept paper and pencil. “ I 
want real nice things this year. Good ” — 

“ Nice bread and butter and a plenty of 
it,” said Mandy. 

“ Wholesome chock’lit ikklaire,” giggled 
Polly, who knew she was n’t going to get 
what she asked for. “You just wait a 
minute.” 

Polly scribbled away without much re- 
gard for spelling, and presently tossed 
down a “ list ” of lunch-box goodies, 
which Mandy straightened herself up to 
162 


I 


The Christmas Cat 


read, with now and then a dry chuckle, 
which did Polly’s heart good as she leaned 
down out of the branches to look at her. 

Chock’lit ikklaire (an item which would 
have headed any bill-of-fare made out by 
Polly) 

Angel cake Appel turnovers 

Sweet pikels Cokanutt cakes 

Pikel limes Blowny sossig , 

and Neggs 

Mandy turned to go, and Polly leaned 
out of the tree to call after her, laughingly. 
And marbul cake, and ” — 

As I said, nobody knew how it happened. 
She leaned a little bit too far. Mandy 
turned sharply as she heard something 
come crashing down through the branches 
and strike the ground with a dull thud; 
and it was she who picked Polly up in her 
long, strong arms and carried her into the 
house as if she had been a baby. Tom had 
been watching from an upper window and 



opened the door as Mandy reached the 


163 


I 


The Christmas Cat 


piazza. Then^ while Polly was laid ten- 
derly on the low, broad lounge for mother 
to look after, he fled for the doctor. 
INTER- Luckily, Dr. Varney was in his office, 
and lost no time in coming over. 

/o^****"^t . ... 

Hurts, does it ? ” he said, twisting her 
leg in this way and that as if he did n’t 
care two straws whether it hurt or not. 
Yes,” said Polly, the tears starting. 
Thought so. Step on it.” 
can't!'' screamed Polly, falling all in 
a heap on the sofa, after one obedient effort. 

‘^Well, you needn’t,” said the doctor, 
beginning to swathe the puffed ankle ten- 
derly. You ’ve got a nice little sprain 
to take care of, but no bones broken. Hot 
water and plenty of it. Shook you up 
pretty well all over, did it ? Oh, yes, 
you ’ve got a bruise or two, but I ’ll fix 
you all up by to-morrow so handsome you 
will want your picture taken.” 

Like Jack and Jill, ^ with vinegar and 
164 



The Christmas Cat 


brown paper ’ ! said Polly, faintly, trying 
to joke, though her ankle felt worse every 
second. 

You are n’t hurt enough to cry over, 
Polly,” said Tom, bound to keep her cour- 
age up, but I ’m going to weep with 
those that weep. Boo-hoo ! boo-hoo-oo — 
00 ! 0 dear me — oh-oA-oh-OH ! ” 

Winky looked doubtfully from one face 
to another as Tom began his lamentations, 
and finally concluding that something 
terrible must be the matter with his little 
mistress, ran to her lounge and put his 
two front feet on the edge of it, and, look- 
ing in her face, gave utterance to one 
heartrending meow. 

Beats me all out,” laughed Tom, 
heartily. ^^No use for me to try to be 
touching when Winky is around. Well, 
then, I ’ll make you laugh. Tell you 
what, Polly-woggle, I have ten days more 
to spend at home before my work begins, 



165 


The Christmas Cat 


AN 

INTER. 

RUPTION 



and I ’ll devote that time to you. Play 
you were a champion ball-player and got 
your ankle twisted, your nose broken, your 
teeth knocked out, three arms torn out 
of their sockets and your skull cracked 
till everybody could see there was n’t any 
brains in. A fellow would feel ashamed 
to go on a ^ team ’ and not lose a finger 
or two — get hurt worse than you have, 
anyway. Wait! I ’ll fix you up.” 

So it happened that when the doctor 
made his second visit next morning, he 
was a little puzzled at the looks of his 
patient. One eye was entirely closed, and 
an immense black circle all around made 
it look as if mortification had set in,” as 
Tom suggested; a large white bandage 
was tied round the left temple, her right 
arm was in a sling, and both feet, ban- 
daged separately, rested on a hassock. 

Humph 1 ” said the doctor. Done in 
water-color, eh ? Pretty bad-looking eye 
166 


The Christmas Cat 


that is. Been having a fight with the 
door, haven’t you? My 7Xose always gets 
the worst of it in such an encounter. 
Had n’t you better tell me which foot you 
want ^ treated ’ ? ” 

The well one ! ” said Polly, demurely. 

“ Good ! ” said the doctor, heartily. 

Well, well, you ’re a brave one ! ” 
Somehow it did n’t seem to hurt half so 
much if you laughed about it, and Tom 
did as he promised, and devoted himself 
to making her laugh. He taught Winky 
to beg ” like a dog, to carry sticks in his 
mouth, to roll over and over when bidden, 
and a dozen tricks which Polly declared 
would make him ten times more valuable 
when the time came to go out again as 
angels of mercy to the little sick children 
of the neighborhood. 

By the third morning, it was the doctor 
who looked sober when he came in to see 
how the foot was getting along. 



167 


The Christmas Cat 


AN 

INTER. 

RUPTION 



Who 's pretty sick ? ” asked Tom, 
after studying his face a few minutes. 

Nobody ! said the doctor, shortly, 
and then he laughed. am missing my 
little assistant here. ^Children cry for 
her.’ Can’t get ’em to take their medi- 
cine. All I hear from morning to night 
is ^ I wa-a-ant Pol-ly ! ’” 

The doctor’s tone was so funny that 
Polly burst out laughing, but she, too, 
grew grave presently. 

Poor little things 1 ” she said. I 
suppose they do miss me coming with 
Winky.” 

They certainly do,” said the doctor. 

You could have Winky,” suggested 
Polly. 

I suppose I might go round with a 
medicine-box in one hand and a cat in the 
other.” 

Would n’t you look funny?” laughed 
Polly, merrily. After all, I suppose he 
168 


The Christmas Cat 


would n’t go with you without me. I ’ll 
have to think up a way. Tom will help 
me.” 

Tom was willing to help, but even he 
was unable to see a way ” soon enough 
to suit impatient Polly. Some thoughts 
are like the wedges of wood, that in early 
times, it is said, used to be driven into 
crevices of rocks and left to swell with 
rains. In time the solid rock was split 
apart just by the pushing of that tiny 
wedge. Tom said good-bye to Polly and 
went away to his work with a sort of an 
entering wedge ” of an idea as to that 
Amusement Bureau, which Dr. Varney 
sometimes spoke of so wistfully. All 
sorts of obstacles stood in the way; but 
the wedge was there. He knew the rocks 
would have to yield. 

Polly was very lonely after he left. 
Margery was not at home, and the little 
shut-in ” sat in her big, sunny room many 
169 



The Christmas Cat 


AN 

INTER- 

RUPTION 



an hour tasting the tediousness which she 
had so sweetly tried to relieve for others, 
for even Winky could not make time pass 
quickly for her all her days, and mother 
was a very busy woman. Worst of all, 
papa was away on his vacation. Mother 
had insisted on his going, even though it 
was without her, and he was spending a 
week or two at the seashore. Polly knew 
just where, and often sat and thought of 
him, for she had been at the very house 
before this with papa, and got acquainted 
with Georgietta, the little daughter of the 
house. 

Wally, too, was more lonesome than 
ever, for he did not care to stay in with 
Polly, and Polly could not come out, so he 
had to go and find his own playmates. He 
tried to coax Winky to come and play 
with him, but Winky seemed to prefer to 
share Polly’s imprisonment. Mother said it 
was too bad, and one day presented Wally 
170 









The Christmas Cat 


with a new little kitty of his own, with a 
dainty blue ribbon tied in a bow round its 
neck, but after a few days they found it 
always up in Polly’s room curled do^vn 
near her little cushioned stool where she 
sat by hours showing pictures to Winky,'^ 
or telling him old stories. Cats, hke babies, 
have an odd way of knowing who their 
real lovers are. 

Papa’s letters were lovely, and he never 
failed to put in a little note for Polly, and 
sometimes a whole letter, in her own en- 
velope, to her own address. One day there 
were two letters, both to Miss Polly 
Plummer,” one, of course, from papa, and 
the other, as she soon saw, from her dear 
Georgietta. From the folds of the pink- 
violet note-paper dropped out the most 
beautiful embroidered handkerchief holding 
a white silk sachet stamped with forget- 
me-nots. 

Polly was quite overcome with delight 
171 


1/-1M 

mjljll 

intSUiV 
RU PTIOM — 



The Christmas Cat 


at receiving two such pretty letters in one 
mail. Mamma read them to her first, and 
then she sat and spelled them over to 
INTER- herself. 

^^How would you like to have a little 
playmate for a few weeks ? ’’ asked mamma, 
looking up from her own letter. 

“ I wish I had ! ” said Polly, forlornly. 
You might write a little note of thanks 
to Georgietta, and ” — 

And ? And what ? ’’ cried Polly, all 
a-fire, as her mother hesitated. ‘‘ Oh, 
do n't stop at ^ and.' " 

And ask her to come up here a little 
while and keep you from being homesick 
in your own father's house." 

You loveliest mamma ! Will you help 
me to write it ? " 

Wait a few minutes till I get back and 
I will help you." 

Polly, listening, heard her go into the 
study and click away at papa's typewriter. 
172 



The Christmas Cat 


Pretty soon she came back, and this was 
the note she handed Polly ; 

“Georgietta, 

My dear friend: — 

A short letter 
Here I send. 

For your pretty 
Gift to me, 

Here are kisses 

One, two, three. 

<< That nice kerchief 
With the posy 
I shall use to 

Wipe my nosey. 

(I ’m a little 

Girl, you see, i 

So my mamma 

Writes for me.) 

<< Mamma says that 
I may say. 

Come and see me, 

E/ight away. 

Stay a week, or 

Two or three, — 

Oh, how happy 
We shall be ! 



173 


The Christmas Cat 


Darling papa 
Is with you, 

Down beside the 
Ocean blue; 

Love to you and 
Him from me. 

I ’m your loving 
Polly P.’^ 



174 



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// 







CHAPTER XI 

Better Than Money 

XPECT us on the 5:10 
train Tuesday.’’ 

This was the tele- 
gram which came to 
Polly Monday after- 
noon, and which puz- 
zled her as well as 
her mother, for 
neither of them could 
guess what u s ” 
meant. It could not be papa, for a letter 
came from him in the night mail telling 
what he meant to do all that week. Who 
was coming with Georgietta ? 

Well, whoever it is,” said mother, 
hospitably, we must be ready for them. 

175 



The Christmas Cat 



I will have Mandy air the best bed, and 
get out fresh towels and toilet things. 
They must have misunderstood our invita- 
tion. I certainly did not mean to ask any 
more company while you need so much 
waiting on. It is too hard on Mandy.” 

At exactly 5 : 30 a carriage stopped at 
the door, and out jumped a nice little girl 
whom Polly instantly and joyfully recog- 
nized as Georgietta, and a fierce-looking 
black cat which meekly came up the steps 
after Georgietta when she carelessly called 
to him to follow her. 

0 Georgietta ! What ’s his nam6 ? ” 
cried Polly, after the first long kisses and 
hugs were over. 

Inky.” 

Inky and Winky ! Did n’t you know 
my cat is Winky? Who ever heard of 
such a thing ! ” 

Yes, your papa told me. But mine 
w^as named when he was a little bit of a 
176 


The Christmas Cat 


kitten, because he is so black, and your 
papa said to bring him, so I did, though 
my mamma said it was n’t very polite, and 
I do n’t know what your mamma will 
say ! ” 

She ’ll say ^ all right,’ only — it ’s the 
best bed she is going to put him in ! ” 
giggled Polly. heard her tell Mandy 
to get the guest-room ready because ^un- 
expected company’ was coming! Do you 
s’pose she will put him there ? ” 

With Georgietta’s coming, everything 
was changed. She was a dainty httle 
dark-eyed maiden, a year older than Polly, 
which Polly thought was very nice be- 
cause she knew so many more things than 
Polly did. It was she who planned the 
Annual Sale of the Ladies ” in behalf 
of Polly’s poor httle sick children, at which 
they sold everything in the house which 
mother was wilhng to say she could 
spare.” 



The Christmas Cat 



That will not be much, dear ! ” she 
^ said, sighing to think what a very econom- 
ical household they were, and how few 
things they ever had to spare. 

Oh, there will ! '' said Polly, earnestly. 
I know any quantity of things — just 
piles! ” 

Very well,” said mamma, ^^only show 
everything to me first,” sighing again to 
think of the work that meant for her, 
whether they found or did n’t find what 
they wanted. 

Susie and Dorothy wanted to help, and 
brought over an amazing basket of con- 
tributions from their house, all of which 
sold at good prices to appreciative friends 
and neighbors, who gathered willingly in 
Polly’s chamber showroom, just for the 
sake of pleasing Polly. 

“ ’T is n’t money enough,” said Georgi- 
etta, counting their pennies and small bits, 
of silver after it was over. She had a pretty 
178 


The Christmas Cat 


plan in mind, but, like most plans, it called 
for a pretty handful of money. Let 's 
have a cat-show ! Where ’s Inky ? ” 

Nobody ever needed to say, Where T 
Winky ? ” for he was always close to Polly. 
She put out her hand and touched him 
pettingly, as she said that perhaps Inky 
might be in the kitchen with Mandy. 

He was n’t, but Georgietta was not 
easily discouraged, and went on into the 
dining-room, where she found the most 
forlorn-looking boy, sitting on a low stool, 
with the big black cat gazing steadily and 
rather reproachfully 
at him. He could 
not understand a boy 
who would n’t play 
with him. 

Why, Inky, what 
is the matter! Why, 

Wally, what have you 
been doing ? ” 

179 




The Christmas Cat 



Nawthin’/’ said Wally, lifelessly. 

What ’s the reason you are n’t doing 
anything?” demanded Georgietta, briskly. 

What do you want to do ? ” 

Nawthin’ ! ” said Wally again, mourn- 
fully. 

Since Georgietta came he had seen less 
and less of Polly, and he felt that Georgietta 
was somehow to blame for his having no 
one to play with. 

Well, you do! ” she cried, catching up 
Inky, and snatching at the same time one 
of Wally’s limp hands. “ Come along. 
We ’re going to have a cat party, and we 
want you to help. We ’ve got to have a 
boy to go errands.” 

“ Truly ? ” asked Wally, brightening. 

Honest. We want your cat, too. 
Where is he ? ” 

Up in Polly’s room, ’course. Every- 
thing is up in Polly’s room.” 

Well, you ’re going to be up in Polly’s 
180 


The Christmas Cat 


room, too, so do n’t look as if you had lost 





your best friend. Come and get the notices H >^41^ 
and the tickets.” 

Georgietta had a sweet little childish 
voice, like Polly, and the cat-show was to 
include several vocal duets by Jolly and 
Porgietta ” (as the doctor persisted in call- 
ing them, pretending he could not get their 
names right), an “instrumental piece” or 
two, some “speakings” by Wally and the 
neighbor girls, and no end of funny cat 
tricks by Inky and Winky. These attrac- 
tions were all duly set forth in the pro- 
gram, which Wally was ordered to carry 
around and show at every place where he 
went to seU a ticket. While he was gone, 
the girls improved the time for a busy 
rehearsal at home. Father was back from 
his vacation, but he never minded what 
they did up in Polly’s room, not even if 
they left the door open. He was not a 
nervous man, and liked to hear the merry 
181 

a' 



The Christmas Cat 



chatter and murmur of children’s voices 
while he was working. He was smiling 
to himself as a shrill voice was heard de- 
claring that the next number to be de- 
nounced on the program was a piece entitled 
Grandpa’s Schottische ” by Miss Polly 
Plummer, when the outer door opened, and 
Dr. Yarney sent in word by Mandy that he 
would like to see the minister a moment. 

“ It ’s the expressman’s little boy,” said 
the doctor, in a low voice. ‘‘ He died last 
night.” 

Oh ! ” said the minister, sorrowfully. 
Something new, was n’t it ? ” 

Got cold,” said the doctor, briefly. 
These people do n’t know how to take 
care of a patient. Mother off all day — had 
to be. Crawled out of bed and waited on 
himself, and then fever set in. They want 
you, of course.” 

I ’ll come. They never come near me, 
but that does n’t make any difference.” 


182 


The Christmas Cat 


Of course not. And, by the way, car 
you bring some of your singers ? The man 



poor fellow, has taken a notion that he 
wants a certain thing sung — ‘ Safe — safe ’ 



— oh, yes ! ^ safe in the arms of Jesus.’ 
Something of that sort. He says your little 
Polly used to sing it to the boy a good deal, 
days when she came to see him. Better 
not mention anything to Polly, perhaps. I 
told him she was n’t out of her room yet.” 

Polly knoios, Dr. Varney!” called a 
sweet, distressed voice from up-stairs. I 
could n’t help hearing.’' 

Too bad ! ” muttered the doctor. 

Will you please tell that poor man I ’m 
sorry his little boy had to go to Jesus so 
quick ? And tell ” — 

But the doctor was gone, and Polly told 
the rest of it to her papa. He went at 
once to try to find some “ singers.” But 
that was not an easy matter. The volun- 
teer choir was out of town, scattered here 


183 


The Christmas Cat 



and there at seaside and mountain, and the 
few remaining ones who could sing were 
far too bashful to try to sing alone even to 
ease a father’s heart at his little baby’s 
funeral. 

//m ‘^What did he i^y when you told him 
we should have to get along without sing- 
ing ? ” Mr. Plummer asked next morning 
when the doctor came in to see Polly. 

The mother seemed to feel worse than 
he did about it. She said she should ^ kind 
o’ feel somehow as if the baby was just 
drowsing off to sleep if she could hear that 
tune a-going. So many times she had 
heard Polly rockin’ and hummin’ it.’ Land 
o’ liberty! Wish I knew one note from 
another. I’d do something, if I had to 
whistle it, before she should have to go 
without it.” 

She sha’ n’t have to go without it, 
papa 1 ” spoke up Polly, suddenly. I ’ll 
sing it — Georgietta and I will.” 

184 



The Christmas Cat 


no, dear. You can’t walk out, 
and then, besides ” — 





She can be carried,” said the doctor, 
warmly. 

She ’s no singer. It might seem 
strange.” 

That ’s what they all say — ^ It seems.’ 
Who cares how it seems ? ” answered the 
doctor, almost angrily. 

Oh, no, I sha’ n’t mind how it 
^ seems,’ ” said Polly, innocently. I 
used to sing it to Robbie, all right, so I 
guess I can. And there ’U be Georgietta 
to help me. I shall think about Robbie 
and not mind about the people.” 

It made Polly catch her breath a little 
to come into the dark room, among the 
black-robed people. Dr. Varney himself 
lifted her out of the carriage and set her 
down close beside her papa, with Georgietta 
next. When the time came to sing the 
little hymn, they both stood up, Polly 


The Christmas Cat 



leaning lightly with one hand on her 
papa’s knee to support herself, and per- 
haps to gain a little courage. The words 
floated out sweetly and clearly into all the 
other rooms, even when Georgietta began 
to cry in the middle of the second verse, 
and sat down unable to help any longer. 
Polly sang on and never thought of crying, 
till all at once, in the last chorus, a sudden 
thought of the warm little head she had so 
often cosied made a dry sob come up in her 
throat and. the sound would n’t come, 
though she tried to make it. 


^^Safe in the arms of Jesus,” 


she sang, and then she stood still so long 
that papa patted the little hand gently and 
made her sit down, while the service went 
on and was ended. 

I spoilt it ! I spoilt it ! ” cried Polly, 
crying in good earnest, with her head on 
her mother’s neck, when they were fairly 
186 


The Christmas Cat 


at home and they had carried her up to her 
room to rest on the sofa. ^^And I — we 
meanted to do it so nice — and then I 
could n’t sing it through ! ” 

You spoiled nothing, my baby ! ” said 
papa, tenderly, coming up the stairs. 

That poor man thought you stopped there 
on purpose, just to let him have that happy 
thought to think of. He told me so, before 
I came home.” 

That ’s nice,” said Polly, wearily. She 
was pretty tired, and things seemed rather 
disappointing. “ We meanted to earn 
lots of money and make Christmas boxes 
and things, but I guess we can’t. Georgi- 
etta is always thinking up the loveliest 
plans, hut you have to have so much 
money.” 

There are ever so many things better 
than money ! ” said papa, warmly. Lov- 
ing people, and being kind and helpful and 
sorry for them when they are in trouble, 
187 



The Christmas Cat 



and ready to do anything you can to make 
them happy, no matter whether it is easy 
or not — such things are worth more to 
poor, troubled hearts than a bagful of gold 
dollars. Money is all well enough if you 
have it, but you gave this poor father and 
mother something better than money, and 
he told me something that made your papa 
very happy — he says he is ‘ coming to my 
church some after this, so as to learn how 
to be safe, too, like Robbie.’ ” 

“ I ’m so glad ! ” said Polly, and they 
tucked her up on the sofa and left her, for 
they rightly judged that she had had excite- 
ment enough for one day. 

Winky crept out of his hiding-place 
behind the curtain after they were gone, 
and when mother looked in just before 
supper, he had climbed on a hassock, and 
with one soft paw was trying to coax his 
little mistress to wake up and play with 
him. 


188 





ND WITH OXE 
MISTRESS TO 


SOFT PAW WAS TRYING TO COAX HIS LITTLE 
WAKE UP AND PLAY WITH HIM.” Page 188. 





THE, EUROPE LADY 



CHAPTER XII 



The Europe Lady 

IX or seven days be- 
fore Christmas the 
loveliest thing hap- 
pened — something 
that set little Polly’s 
feet prancing, and the 
ministers heart dan- 
cing, and the doctor’s eyes twinkling, and 
the door-bells a-tinkling, and all the people 
in the neighborhood to wondering what on 
earth that little Polly Plummer and her cat 
were up to now.” If the truth were only 
known, however, neither Polly nor Winky 
knew anything about it, and were as much 
surprised as anybody. And yet, as you will 
189 



The Christmas Cat 

see, the neighbors were right in thinking 
that somehow or other those two were at 
the bottom of it. 

Wally had been told to tend door 
that morning. Mother and Mandy were 
just as busy as they could be about real 
Christmas business, and Polly was helping. 
Little girls can do so much in the way of 
stoning raisins and picking out nut-meats 
and so forth at such times, — and boys, too, 
for that matter, only, if they are all like 
Wally, it is not very profitable to have them 
help much. Just let him tend door,’’ said 
Mandy. He ’ll take a great load off my 
back, with my hands all wet or floury. 
You have to go to the door just the same, 
no matter whether it ’s a book-pedler or the 
emp’ror of Germany. As for me, there 
would n’t either one of ’em get in, Christ- 
mas week. I ’d keep a dog first.” 

Oh, you would n’t be so hard-hearted, 
Mandy,” said Mrs. Plummer, mixing plum- 


190 


The Christmas Cat 


cake such as dreams are made of. Just 
think of shutting any one out who had come 
clear way over from Europe to see you ! ’’ 

Do n’t care ! ” said Mandy, recklessly. 

Well, anyway, if Wally can look after 
’em ” — 

Do n’t want to ! ” whined Wally. 

He will be charmed !” laughed mamma, 
merrily, holding out a candied cherry which 
Wally gobbled without a Thank you.” 

You can take your cat, dear, and see that 
you make him happy.” 

Wally’s idea of making anybody happy 
was usually to give him something to eat ; 
so he took a saucer of milk into the parlor, 
and was feeding his cat there serenely 
when the door-bell rang. 

It ’s the Europe Lady ! ” he called in 
what he intended to be an undertone, as he 
opened the kitchen door a crack to report 
to mother and Mandy. The caller smiled 
and then grew thoughtful. 

191 



The Christmas Cat 



\ \ It ’s not such a bad title ! ” she said to 
\J herself, musingly. Children like mystery, 
and a foreign sound to things.’’ 

Your ^ emperor,’ ” laughed mother, 

' straight from Germany ! ” 

What in the livin’ world” — began 
Mandy. 

Wally means that Doctor Varney lady, 
that ’s been in Europe so long, and has come 
home here to live and make pickshures. 
She ’s his nephew or something. She ’s 
the most beautifullest girl to play games ! I 
like her most better than Doctor Varney.” 
You ! ” said Mandy, staring at Polly. 
Where did you meet her?” asked 
mother, stopping with her hand on the 
door-knob. Do you mean the young lady 
who entertained the little folks so beauti- 
fully at the Children’s Social ? ” 

Yes ’m. And she told me to tell you 
she was coming to see you and papa 
about it.” 


192 


The Christmas Cat 

So mamma went in, glad to think she 
had some inkling of her visitor’s mission. 
In this, however, she was quite mistaken. 

No, no, no, my dear Mrs. Plummer ! ” 
laughed the young lady, after five or ten 
minutes of chat, in which the kind-hearted 
minister’s wife had tried to meet her caller^ 
haK-way, and make it easy for her to 
to sell her book or portfolio of sketches or 
whatever she had to get subscriptions for. 
‘‘ I do n’t want to sell a thing ! I do n’t 
^ want your name ’ for anything ! I just 
want to know if you will lend me your dear 
little Polly — and her cat — part of the 
time from now till Christmas. My uncle. 
Dr. Yarney, heartily approves, and I am 
sure you will, if you will only trust me. 

“ You may know,” she went on, seeing 
that her hostess still hesitated, ^Hhat my 
childhood was spent in Germany, Switzer- 
land and Italy, where the games of chil- 
dren constitute a large part of the national 
193 





The Christmas Cat 

\life. It occurred to me when I came home 
J to this country that it might be a pleasant 
way of making an income to teach these 
games to little Americans, perhaps invent 
l^ ^^c^ new ones, and try when I can to weave in 
^ pretty folk-lore of all these lands. In 

the two or three large cities where I have 
tried it, it proved almost instantly suc- 
cessful, so that now I have no fear in 
Tadvertising myself as a first-class Chil- 
^Ndren’s Entertainer ! ” 

You have an endorser in Polly,” said 
/^Mrs. Plummer, laughing as merrily as the 
^young lady herself at the vainglorious way 
in which she ended that last sentence. 

She says you are ^ the beautifullest girl 
to play games ! ’ ” 

That is just what I want to be ! ” cried 
the visitor with enthusiasm. But I want 
to be something besides a worker for 
money — I want to help. And your little 
boy here gave me the very name I have 



The Christmas Cat 


been racking my brain for. He called me 
^ The Europe Lady ’ ! ” 

Just the thing ! But, pardon me, I 
can’t see noio what you want Polly for.” 

0 my dear Mrs. Plummer ! Must I 
tell you ? It is just a reward of merit. 
Do you suppose I have been a week at 
home without hearing about her and the 
little cat and all? I won’t tell it all to 
you, but you and Mr. Plummer must know 
that her lovely, self-denying work with the 
children has set some older ones to think- 
ing. Out of your own Christian Endeavor 
Society a dozen helpers have already 
volunteered, and this little band is con- 
nected with other associations of young 
women of leisure, who have agreed to 
devote some of their time to caring for 
crippled children. The work centers, of 
course, in the city where the large hos- 
pitals are — and in this one near by where 
Polly went, — ;but it branches out to the 
195 



The Christmas Cat 

homes where these little ones go after they 
are returned from the hospitals and are 
no longer under the physician’s care.” 

“ What a beautiful charity ! ” exclaimed 
her listener. 

Simply Christlike. You see then, more 
than ever, the poor little things need a 
friend, and each member of the society 
takes one of the children under her wing, 
to teach or amuse or help him in any way 
she c^n. Certain regular days are given 
up to it. Music and games and little 
talks, toys or pictures, all help to make a 
new world out of the dreary old one.” 

‘^How did you — they — happen to 
think about it?” 

Well, it came to the notice of some of 
us how small the force of nurses is in the 
children’s ward of the average hospital. 
It is much worse, you understand, than in 
the others, because children must be 
amused as well as nursed. If not they 


196 






The Christmas Cat 


cry themselves sick, and sometimes, after 
an operation, the poor little things sob so 
when they ‘ come out of the ether ’ that 
it does a great deal of harm. They must 
be kept quiet. That is what these young 
girls — a good many of them still in school 
— have undertaken to do. They go in at 
meal-times, and keep the hungry little 
things from fretting because their turn 
does n’t come quick enough. They sing 
to them and show them toys and draw 
funny pictures and — there ! I caught 
your ‘ housekeeper’s eye ’ glancing at the 
clock and I know just what time of the 
year it is, and just what a nuisance I must 
be, and — have I your promise ? May T 
have Polly?” 

You may have any earthly thing you 
choose to ask for ! ” promised Mrs. Plum- 
mer. particularly want my Polly to 
know you.” 

My uncle will drive over for her after 
197 



The Christmas Cat 

\ supper/’ said tlie ‘^Europe Lady/’ bowing 
/herself off the door-step. 

Polly with a secret was like a lighted 
firecracker, ready to explode. 

I can’t — I simply cannot — keep such 
a beautiful secret all to myself ! ” she 
would burst out half a dozen times a day ; 
and the least little question made her 
hands fly up to her mouth, as if one 
tightly clasped over the other and both 
pressed on her lips were not by any means 
to be trusted to keep in the important 
secret. 

I am thankful it is only two days to 
Christmas,” said Mandy, the day before 
Christmas Eve. Your grandma is com- 
ing to-morrow, and ” — 

Well, so am I ! ” burst out Polly, for 
I can tell her right in her ear just what is 
going to happen. The Europe Lady said I 
might tell her all I wanted to, and won’t 
she be pleased to see her dear little Winky 
198 


The Christmas Cat 


grown up into such a fine cat, and see how 
beautifully he will behave at the Cats’ 





Christmas 


Christmas Tree and ” — 

Oh ! so there is to be 
tree?” . ^ 

“ Oh, I ’ve told ! I ’ve told ! ” moaned 7^^=^ 
Polly in distress. And I did n’t mean to,' [ 
and I do n’t want to ever, ever have another Ip 
secret ! ” 

It was well that Grandma Plummer 
came within twenty-four hours, for Polly 
went round with SECRET ” written all 
over her, and anybody could guess it with- 
out a word spoken. Even Margery, when 
she jumped out in a snow-drift and ran 
up the back steps, asked, What about 
the wonder-ball ? ” And, as Polly said to 
Georgietta, How could she ever have 
known it but just ’cept by looking at me ? ” 

Tom caught his httle sister up in his^. 
arms and almost threw her over his head 
as he asked her how many cats were com- 
199 


The Christmas Cat 



ing to the party, and father said, with a 
twinkle in his eye, that he guessed he 
could n’t go because he had n’t any ticket. 
So you may guess how well Polly had kept 
the secret. 

And now it is time to tell you what 
really happened, which I hinted to you, as 
you will remember, in the first sentence of 
this chapter. It was a surprise to Polly, 
and it was n’t. That is, she knew part of 
it, and helped in part of it, but there was 
ever so much that came without her guess- 
ing a bit of it, after they were all gathered 
in the doctor’s big double parlors, from 
which Miss Lois had been coaxed to let the 
Europe Lady move out everything that 
could possibly be hurt by having fun on it. 

Wally and Polly and Susie and Dorothy 
and Georgietta were all sent round with 
tiny, oddly-painted notes to the neighbors’ 
houses a day or two before the party. The 
notes said : Will you please come to the 


200 


The Christmas Cat 




Cats’ Christinas Party ? ” and underneath, 

Ticket, One Cat.” In place of a postage- 
stamp in the corner was a small picture of 
a cat, and a sprig of holly was held securely ’ 
hy the drop of red sealing-wax which fas-^^ " ^ 

tened the envelope-flap. The Europe Lady 
meant to be sure that her messengers deliv- 
ered everything safely without dropping it.y 
It was a wondering crowd of children 
and grown folks that gathered Christmas 
Eve at Dr. Varney’s. Not every child 
brought a cat, but there were enough to 
make it look very much like a Christmas-y 
sort of Cat Show. Winky was there, of 
course, in his best blue ribbon. Inky was 
there in his red. Wally’s cat had been 
washed and combed till life was a burden 
to him ; Dorothy and Susie had twin kit- 
tens that looked so much alike it was n’t 
worth while giving names to them. The 
whole Price family was there, and every 

Price had his cat, and boasted of it. 

201 



The Christmas Cat 

The Europe Lady met them and played 
y games with them for an hour, just as she 
^had at the Children’s Social. You will 
never, never know what fun Drop the 
Handkerchief ” is till you play it with half- 
a-dozen frisky cats chasing after every run- 
Y ner, and snatching up the handkerchief 
before the swiftest player has a chance to 
stoop for it. Winky was fairly wild. He 
had played these things so often at home 
with Polly and the others that he had not 
the faintest feeling of bashfulness, and all 
the running parts ” of the game, as Wally 
called them, he seemed to think were 
wholly for his benefit. 

He is the knowingest little creetur ! ” 
said grandma, watching from her corner, 
and wiping her spectacles every third min- 
ute because somehow or other she could n’t 
see so well to-night as usual. To think 
he ’s only a year old, and as smart as a steel 
trap, if I do say it that should n’t. I think 
202 


The Christmas Cat 



I ’ll take to raising Christmas cats, if they 
all turn out as well as this one.” 


Has she forgotten the eating part ? ” 



a loud voice that the Europe Lady heard 


signed to Dr. Varney to call for cats andf f 
children to come to order. 

Eefreshments will be ” — 

Well, of course they were. Nobody 
waited to know what else he said. You 
must excuse th'"^ 
a cat party, 
tables were spi 
and one on i 
guessed which 
little saucer wj 
dinner favors e 
sachet of catni 
by tearing it c 
and the clean 
Grandma Plum 



203 



The Christmas Cat 


I dren forgot to eat their own goodies in the 
fun of watching this other banquet. 

^^Now what next?” said Wally, getting 
up while he could, and looking longingly 
v-..^,^at the lovely things he must leave behind 
] Ar-"'him. 

r The Christmas tree next ! ” said the 

Europe Lady brightly, leading them back 
to the parlor. 

There in the middle was something 
which had not been there when they left 
for the supper-table. Tall and gay and 
drooping with its weight of presents, like 
any Christmas tree, but different — some- 
thing was different — what was it ? Winky 
made a dash for one of the long white 
fluttering strings, and then they all saw 
what made it look so funny. It was a 
cats’ Christmas tree, — not a thing on it 
was for the children, and the gifts were 
only lodged ever so lightly in the branches, 
while long fluttering strings hung down 
204 


The Christmas Cat 



just wltliin jumpiug reach of the excited - 

kittens which all eyed it with sharp, bright _ 

eyes and quivering bodies. One jumped 

— another! In a minute the room was Ar>il 

J 

alive round the tree with leaping kittens, 
and the gay worsted balls and soft velvet j ,,, , 

mice fell every moment from the branches. I / 

One thing more,’^ said the Europey 
Lady, and this ends the party. You 
must each one take your kitten and hold 
him tightly till your turn comes, for we are 
going to begin to unwind the wonder-ball. 

The real right way is to knit till you come 
to your present — that is the way they do 
in Germany — but I suppose nobody here 
knows how to knit, so ” — 

^^Why, I could knit, child, before you 
was thought of ! ” spoke up Grandma 
Plummer, from her corner, and the Europe 
Lady laughed out merrily as she and Tom 
ran to take her by the hand and lead her 
out to the big armchair which Dr. Yarney 
205 A 





The Christmas Cat 





LADY" 


drew np in front of the round basket con- 
' Wining the huge, gay -colored wonder-ball. 
Needles were soon found, and Grandma 
Plummer, pleased as a child, made a fine 
^'^^UROPE^beginning, coming in a very few minutes to 
^ her present, and no child in all that room 
' was more pleased than the dear old lady 
when she saw what it was — a nice little 
perfumed sachet for her handkerchiefs with 
white cat painted in one corner, 
yy^ It ’s the very livin’ image of VVinky,” 
she murmured, eyes and tail and all ! ” 
The rest of you will have to wind off 
the yarn instead of knitting it,” said the 
Europe Lady. Polly, you may have the 
.. X first turn.” 

Georgietta came next, and then Dorothy, 
j y^xthen Jimmy Price, and so on till every 
^ ^ child had had a turn,” and every one a 

-^present. Then they began again, and kept 
-<^^it up as long as the presents lasted. It 
y!^was the best fun of the evening. 





The Christmas Cat 

And all this good times and fun/' said 
Mandy, tying Polly up in a big comforter , ' 
carefully, when it was time to go home 
and the evening was over, just from one 
little girl having a cat given her a year^^S^ 
ago this Christmas ! ” } 

And one thing more," said the sweetf { 
voice of the Europe Lady who had over-l 
heard her ; she had the loving wish to 
share her fun and her good times with 
others." 



TAe End — Me-ow 1 


207 








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